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longer any single forcus of this continuing radicalisatio g among women - it was evident in local struggles but they lacked any national character.
What is happening now bears examination. The woren's movement has not grown nunerically recently, and has not attracted large nunbers of working class women. Instead, there has been a qualitatire development in the movement: the socialist current has hurdened out as is reflected in the increasingly sophisticated debates. Socialists in the movement are seriously considering the relationship between the class struggle and the women's movement. Given this new level of debate, it is no accident that the number of socialist women joining trade unions is on the increase.
In addition to a physical overlap between women trade unionists and the socialist current within the women's movement, there is also the general impact of the women's movement on the consciousness of women (and men) whose experience is strictly trade union. There are cracks emerging which indicate that the old very backward ideas towards women within the trade union movement are beginning to give. 6. Improved provision of local authority day nurseries, free of charge, with extended hours to suit working mothers, Provision of nursery classes in day nurseries. More nursery schools. 7. 18 weeks maternity leave with full nett pay before and after the birth of a live child; 7 weeks after birth if the child is still-born. No dismissal during pregnancy or maternity leave. No loss of security, pension, or promotion prospects.
8. Family Planning clinics supplying free contraception to be extended to cover every locality. Free abortion to be readily available. 9. Family allowances to be increased to £2.50 per child.
including the first child.
To campaign amongst wonen to take an active part in the trade unions and in political life so that they may exercise influence comensurate with their numbers and to campaign amongst men trade unionists that they may work to achieve this aim. don in April indicates that women workers are being forced to think of things like equal pay in order to maintain their standard of living against the ravages of inflation Although the Equal Pay Act is partially implemented, women still receive only 50% of the male rate, on average. In the next eighteen months before its full implementation, employers will continue to find ways to escape the Act and women will see attempts to maintain the low rates paid to them. So we can expect Lentherie's factory to be only the first in a long line of such struggles over the summer months. In many cases, the battle will be more difficult and prolonged.
Women in struggle need all sorts of assistance. The Charter campaign can draw together the trade union moment to provide solidarity for women involved in a difficult dispute. Male workers will not automatically down tools to support a fight to reduce differentials, especially when their own wages won't he increased at the end of the fight. The Charter campaing can prepare the way for male trade unionists to understand the need for solidarity when such a situation arises In London several trades councils are discussing the Charter. Some have agreed to adopt it as the basis for work in their area on problems confronting women workers. In Hackney, for example, a conference around the Charter and its demands has been called for September. Local public meetings, and meetings at trade union branches and places of work will help to build for the conference. A questionaire is being circulated to women workers in the Hackney Wick area, and sweated labour and outwork is beinginvestigated. Immigrant organisations involved in the campaign have translated the Charter into Gujurati in an attempt to reach immigrant women workers.
The conference will be the result of work among women workers from a wide variety of jobs in the area, and will involve large numbers in discussions and assessment of the campaign in September. The conference itself will be the beginning rather than the end of the ongoing campaign in the area.
COORDINATED CHALLENGE Preparation like this throughout the country will stimulate the qualitative chance already noted in both trade unions and the women's movement. More importantly, it could lead to significant developments in the level of struggles involving women, thereby effecting permanent changes in the degree of male chauvinism within the unions, and the degree of involvement of women in working class struggles. Only then can a much more effective and co-ordinated challenge be raised to the present attacks on the working class as a whole. The division between social and economic problems, between home and work, between the responsibility of the individual and the class as a whole, and the division between what is the responsibility of the unions and those of the politicians, must be broken down. The Charter campaign could begin this process
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Background to the Lip Struggle Up to 1970, Lip was the leading manufacturer of watches in France. The slow downfall, was due amongst other things, to the eccentric habirs of its director owner, Fred Lip. He had the habit of insulting his fellow directors perched from the top of a cupborad, receiving his women inspectors in under-pants, and sounding off at board room meetings from under the table In 1970 the Lip Enterprise was bought off by a Swiss concern, who were more interested in the trade marke and its" established distribution network than in the manufacturing of noted for its militancy, nse to the Union's demand demand of a go-slow was small. However, when the plans to dismantle the factory The produer itself.
Thousands of watches were taken in cars and hidden in various corners of France. They were sold and the workers received their first illegal" pay. The population of Besancon was called to support this act. A massive turnout inspired the next stept of the struggle which was to occupy and still produce.
Lip became immediately fashionable, to buy an ilegal watch was akin to an act of resistance, , even Edgar Foure / Left Gaullist MP) bought one. What the Paris Mondain made of it one can tragine, but the new form of struggle created by the Lip workers not only inspired others to do the same but has burst open the debare on workers" control, the sheer rationality of their actions has confused the liberal bourgeoisie and panicked it's more re actionary members.
The Two women workers interviewed represent one of the interesting aspects of the struggle, which is the active participation of women workers who represent half the workforce.
FATIMA: Asa worker, I did everything from moulding to control of precision parts of watches. At first, when I started, I talked to no one, I was shy as from childhood I was shy as from childhood I was always shut-in". At the time of the May events I began to understand. In discussing with my colleagues, I saw that my wages were derisory - 400 francs a month. In my workshop there were delegates from the CFDT union I joined straight away. Right now I earn 1,350 francs a month for 43 hours. Question: Why did you marry - rather than live' with your husband?
Living with someone is always, rapid, ephemeral, to marry is more serious, longer lasting. For a couple legality is important, elsewhere no... I mean 1 say that now. I married him because he made me discover everything, he has an extraordinary capacity for learning - at last I could talk to someone. Until the strike we had a passionate 'couple" relationship -Saturdays and Sundays always were spent together. However I really wanted to meet others, to do something with other people. But I didn't know how - when the strike started I joined right away.
Monique Piran, Technical secretary, nineteen year old daughter began work at Lip in 1968, three years earlier she divorced her husband - a boss.
MONIQUE: I left him because he exploited people, but not only his employees, I have a temperament that needs to express itself and with him it was impossible. In his milieu -I never met anyone with an ideal - 50 I looked at telly and did lots of sports to give me the illusion 1 was living. Fatima participates in the "welcome committees" she shows the visitors the factory, receives journalists, sells watches, maps our the way to Lip, etc. Monique works on the prop aganda commission -distribution of leaflers- agitation at fa tory gates, journeys through out France. Without any fam ly obligations Monique, occupied the factory day and nigh up to the arrival of the riot police. Fatima had to convince her husband.
FATIMA: I had to choose between the life of a woman w stays by the side of her husband and the life of a woman who stays by the side of her husband and the life of a woman worker who struggles. My work, my salary is my independence. I discussed with my husband - fortunately an understanding could be reached, he understood, but I have friends who weren't so lucky, and who have remained bloc ed. I even taught my husband another way of living, he did not know anything about Lip. I brought him to the general meetings, he witnessed the sequestration of two of the bosses and sometimes he kept me company during the nights of occupation - for me this was fantastic. Now I talk with him about thousands of things that concern us - he's not yet unionised, but he knows the importance of it. I know that due to the struggle, due to my commitment he found his real well being. Last Friday I went to Paris for a demonstration, a rather disappointing one in fact, I came in at 4 o'clock in the morning. He woke up and asked me to tell him everything that happened. I was really overwhelme When he can, he comes to lunch at the Lip factory. I'm de lighted.
Question: Has your life outside the factory changed? FATIMA:My priorities have changed. Since five months ne since the voluntary slowing down of production - I haven* put my feet in a dress shop and I don't miss it at all and thi
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goes for the cinema and the restaurant.
MONIQUE: Before 1 did a lot of housework, I would have been ashamed of a house that was not spotlessly clean. Now all that is of secondary importance and I don't feel the worse for it. In any case since childhood, women have been stuck with the role of housewives. Does one force a man to be a mechanic?
Question: And in your family - did this pose problems? MONIQUE: I managed to drag members of my family in the occupied factory. They saw that workers in struggle don't scream all the time, that they can be happy and quiet. On t.v. they always show demonstrators who scream, and here in the country that frightens us. They went away convincedFATIMA: In the workshop, before the strike, I found lots of girls who were proud or wild or both. In the struggle I really began to like them. At Lip those who work in the watch department, that is those who put the watches together, believed that they were "better", nigher, than the others. When we talk ed we would say - "Sir this, Miss that", now everyone is on first name terms, contact becomes more human, we have the impression that we're linked together. At last we're discovering cach other and ourselves. Me, for instance, I'm a sentimentalist, if a girifriend is in trouble I do all 1 can to help her even financially. However I saw that despite everything I was still conditioned as a slave to money. On the day after our first workers" control pay we had a collection for the workers on strike at Nogueres. Here we know what solidarity means. If the morale is good here its only due to the financial and physacal support of thousands of people, nevertheless once the collection is counted, we calculated that each worker gave 35 francs only. So we sat down and discussed this. Some said they had to keep 600 francs for their country cottage, another 400 frances for their washing machine, in brief, everybody was makIng excuses. So we thought about the problem - a real raising of consciousness took place; now I take very real interest in struggles that are taking place -l've given up the idea of having a washing machine. Now when all things are said and done, I haven't that much laundry in any case. Now I don't save anymore, my money is better off in solidarity collection than in a bank account - that's good, no? not to have given in to the consumer society.
Question: And you Monique What did you discover in the struggle?
MONIQUE: Lots of things. As an example, that people can help immigrants, unmarried mothers, those without housing. without any motivation of self-interest. I learnt to what point workers can suffer from racism. During a Lip journey at Paimpol, I had the opportunity to talk to Arabs, Yugoslavs, Italians, - before 1 would have thought it a dishonour to be seen amongst them. There I let go all my racial ideas, we talked, some became my friends - but I still have my blocks. I have also understood the role of the police and I hate them, I don't want to know about the 'good reasons' they became policemen or CRS (riot squad) They ought to have chosen the dole. Their choice is as unjustifiable as the one of the girl who dies the streets because she has no money: I am a sportswoman so 1 participated in the street battles, with a handkerchief on my nose. You know its bloody disgusting and unjust to beat up workers who simply struggle for the right to work to live where they work. I cannot understand how a man can obey an order to beat up another man whom he doesn't even know and who does not even bother him at an individual level. And also I discovered that I can do without a holiday. This time I left for Hycres as usual, and I came back at the end of eight days. I had a Lip symbol stuck on my car, and at the camping site, everybody asked me questions. A little meeting organised itself every evening. But at the end of a few days I couldn't tell them anything more, 1 lucked information. I preferred to go back to involve myself in the struggle. I didn't have my sacrosanct month off and I've never been so happy. Finally the bosses give us our holidays as a carrot to a donkey. Lawyers and other professions don't take so much holiday as they are passionate about their work. With us, this time it was the same - what we were doing we loved.
Fatima went on a week's holiday with her in-laws. FATIMA: On Thursday 23rd August young people were distributing leaflets announcing a meeting about Lip that evening. Of course I went. I said I was from Lip and it was I who chaired the meeting - my first meeting - fantastic. I was dizzy and so happy. I had discovered that I was able to direct and animate a debate. Everybody congratulated me, invited me here and there, I didn't sleep all night. I felt a happiness that was unimaginable.
Question: What is happiness"
FATIMA: To feel free and useful - to be at peace with oneself, to dare to do what you want.
Question: When the struggle will be over Fatima, aren't you afraid to feel a little useless?
FATIMA: I have learned to speak - I'll he able to argue with the bosses over conditions of work. And then struggles are exploding all over the place. I have happiness to spare -things are going my way.
The above interview was translated anonymously from an article in Nouvel Observeteur for a recent conference of the socialist current in the women's liberation movement We are reprinting it in this issue, to mark the first annivers ary of the Lip struggle which will occur just prior to the printing date of our autumn issue of Socialist Woman.
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lip: workers talk back