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Sabina Mack One of the most successful strugeles waged by the Women's Liberation Movement in the states has been the campaign for free abortion on demand, which has united large numbers of women in action. Since the issue of abortion affects almost every woman(principally because it is a fundamental demand-the right to control one's own body), particularly working-class women, it is potentially a key issue for the future in mobilising millions of women.
Support for the abortion campaign has grown rapidly. Under growing mass pressure certain gains have been made. Court cases have been initiated against abortion laws in numerous states across the courty. In several states, new laws have been passed making almost all abortions in early pregnancy legal. The ruling of a court its basic demand of free abortion is unitine women in an action orientated movement and it would receive a tremendous boost if abortion restrictions were to be lifted. Women would see it as a direct result of their own action and it would increase their determination to continue to fight for liberation.
International Women's Liberation Papers.
The Pedestal: Vancouver Women's Caucus 307, West Broadway Room 6, Vancouver, BC. Canada. $1.50 a years sub.
Women: A journal of Liberation.
Eastern News, 155 W 15th St., New York NY 10011 $5 a year for 4 issues.
Off our backs: 2318 Ashmead Place No, Washington D.C. 20009. $6 a year for 24 issues.
It ain't me Babe Women's Liberation Basement Collective. 1126 Addison St., Berkeley, Clifornia 94702. $ó a years sub.
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Agreement was reached on 28th July between USDAW and the supermarket groups on Equal Pay for their 80, 000 women shopworkers by 5th April next year. The basic rate for women shop assistants was increased from £9 l4s in the provinces (c10.1.6d. in London) to f12 on 3rd April 1971. his will bria it hero fine with and will rise by a further el in the men shopworkers basic pay in the provinces ol 213, though the proportion of men actually on the basic is far lower than women. A regrading scheme was included in the agreement, mainly of benefit to men.
Surprisingly enough, the employers actually suggested equal pay to USDAW, aptly described by the Times as "one of the least militant unions". Faced with the so-called Equal ray Bill coming into effect in 1975, the Supermarkets, Tesco, Fine Fare, International Storest, Allied Distributors etc., decided to get what they could out of the situation and equalise as soon as possible. The reason?-USDAW planned an increase of ll a year in the basic rate of the 40,000 men shopworhers which would be ils by 1975. Perhaps they also wished that the women's comparative lack of militancy could also hold the men workers and they wouldn't even have to pay the {18... If so they must be proved wrong. Another interesting little feature of the employers magnanimous offer, was the proviso that the two lowest grades would be subject to a reduction of of 10s for the first six months, by which time the employers could be fairly sure they'd have left in disgust.
The agreement, which does not apply to Sainsbury's or the Co-op, represented something of a compromise on the original demand for Equal Pay by 3rd August, in support of which La conference in Cardiff of delegates from S.wales and Monmouthshire on 26th July, favoured strike action on a national scale. USDAW is now having talks with the retail Food Trade Wages Council on a similar graded wale settlement for the 400,000 workers in food distribution in Enland and Wales and 50,000 in Scotland, of whom about 75% are women.
We must welcome any steps taken towards Equal Pay, but before cheering too loudly we should remember that 50% of women shop-workers are on the minimum grade- because of unequal opportunities in training and education, additional responsibilties in the home etc. - and thus whatever it may appear on paper, the agreement represents nothing like Equal Pay in practice.
John Phillips, Assistant General Secretary of USDAW, said the new rates would probably mean an increase in tood prices."I am sure the housewife would not wish to have her groceries subsidised by the low wages of the assistants serving the" , he said. The big supermarket groups should be thankful to Mr. Phillips for defending their profits for them against the housewite.
10 to 1 against us say the office Girls.
According to a survey carried out by a Brook Street Bureau most girls think the odds are at least 10 to 1 against the(some say 100 to 1) when it comes to job opportunities or promotion in competition with men in similar positions, with similar qualifications.
The nearly 500 secretaries interviewed all over England and Scotland were in substantial agreement about the inequality or the Uffice situation. 70% thought discrimination was worse in small firms (with under 50 staff). They described how women orlice workers were at the mercy of the bosses' whims and prejudices. One woman who passed her computer programming course with 98% was rejected for a job because she was married with children, and"'the compary did not full attention to the job."
Another programmer said"At my last job my boss deliberately engaged all female staff because he believed they worced harder. His second in command however sacked every girl when he took over because he favoured an all male staff ".
72% of the girls interviavel thou ht that if 5 women and 1 man, all with roughly the same qualifications, went after the same job, the man would always be selected. And 14% of them insisted that they knew they had been turned down because they were women.
Unions and Equal Pay- Narrowig the Gap.
In May, NUFTO submitted a claim for increases from Ist January 1970, of 2/3 per hour for Journeymen time workers, and 2/11 for Journeywomen. A special recall NUT&GW conference voted to accept an offer of increases on general rates of a further od per hour, for men and 10d for woand 28th Sept., this year, This was additional in two equal installments on lst April to the Ist january increase of 5d for men and Ld for women. The printing unions NGA & SOGAT accepted a pay deal from the Newspaper Society and British Federation of Master frinters, to affect 180,000 workers in provincial newspapers and general printing, on 5th August. Increases amount to 14% for men and 19% for SOCIALIST WOMAN Aug-Sep.1970 Vol.2 No.4 16 Ella Rd., West Bridgford, Nottm.England NG2 5GW Produced by Nott'm Socialist Women's committee. Business Manager: M-Donnelly Editorial Board: A.Black, A.Torode,A.Gorton, J.O'Brien Subscription rate: 5/- for six issues;$1 for six issues in Canada and USA.
Signed articles do not necessarily refleat editorial opinion.
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And we forget To be about age 15 Diseases