Antonia Gorton BOrDere Castle's got. it - we want it! EQUAL PAY "77! The Equal Pay demonstration in May was the first national women's demonstration in Britain for nearly 30 vears. Althoug h the numbers were not great, it was extremely militant and enthusiastic. Among the unions repres sented were USDAM, SOGAT, ABU, T’GU, Tobacco “Workers, various Trades Councils, Socialist Women bore these tremendous orange and yellow banner throuzh some of the worst weather in weeks. Mearlvy 2,000 working class women stood for over 2 hours in cold blowing rain to listen to women trade union-= ists, MP's and a few left wing men speakers. The significant part was the numbrs of factory delegations of busloads of women. © The National Joint Action Campaign for Women's Equal Rights, who organised the demonstration are now at an important stage in ite development... On one hand there are those members who feel that the campaign should remain largely propagand aistic with the occasional demonstration and meeting, but no real involvement. in the actual efforts of women workers; on the other are those who feel that the campaign mst make itself meaningful in these struggles. less than one-third of working women beiéng to Trade Unions, which is the most ele mentary level that workers mst achieve in persuance of their aims. Elsewhere,
this journal we give details of a tenwweek old strike of women workers for ion recognition, this type of struggle is taking place in other areas aside from actual strikes for Equal Pay, such as.the lucas lavatory cleaners. HSS OWER can not stand aside from these efforts by women to advance themselves. The local groups mist offer their support, from distributing leaflets, to helping man the picket lines, to publicising the cases to the labour movement. Nationally RJACWER mst immediately send representatives to any sections who becom active, "it mist circulate its branches with collecting sheets and general information, Only if it keeps building a truly national movement with constant information about strikes, demo's, agreements of Equal Pay, etc. will.a real relationship be built between women Workers and the campaign. JACWER took a firm step in the direction of eugelyanent in these ou money and support to the Ramsgate strikers, tut its essential problems will not be solved until. other orgzanisational/political questions. are worked out, T Unions and other organisations should be formallyaf* iliated. to. the campaign; th General Committee should be a delegated body with constant entry for new representativesd organisations; the Executive or Working Committee should be broadly representative of the General Committee, A regular newsletter shquld be esta-