convener Reg Weaver. which workers can only be shop stewards if they have heen in the factory for at least two years.
speakers invited are Mike Cooley Ernie Roberts (Assistant General of the IMG, Avtar Jouhal of the dispute in 1972.
hunt ugainst the strike. The paper ite group were at the back of the short list of firms to which the troubles were planned to spread,"
struggle as closely linked to the Mansfield Hosicry dispute. Their strike bulletin refers to the strikes at Harwood Cash, B. Jaffe, SIC, Art Castings.
workers of Manshield Hosiery who beat out a path of determined and in Britain,' says the bulletin.
500, support the strike. The strike ing for unity,"•.. our fight is for and white...
every where must insist that the leadership make the strike official, who are fighting for busic trade union principles. the chairman of the strike committee H. Kahetani has described as la scarcely concealed invitation for a white backlash. Weaver has said that he has his own rule book according to The strike committee plans a national demonstration in Leicester on Sunday 19 May. Amongst the wonen at work.
(former president of AUEW/TASS), Secretary of the AUEW. Tarin Ali Indian Workers Association, George Peake, and Benny Bunsee who was prominent in the Mansfield Hosiery Alter Bunsee bad spoken at a meeting last Sunday (12 May), the Leicester Mercary launched a witchclaimed that there were: "reports from well informed sources that a Trotskyhealth facilities. troubles, and there is in existence a The Imperial strikers see their which followed it: by black workers Artid Plastics, Perivale Gutterman and "We pay tribute to the Asian consistent struggle for black workers The strikers are equally firm in their desire to achieve unity with the white workers, of whom 40, out of committee has issued a leaflet appealALL workers, men and women, black *it says.
The Imperial strikers must receive national support for their demonstraion this Sunday. T&GWU militants and back these courageous workers The Working Women's Charter, drawn up by the London Trades Council in March,is proving to be an effective means of raising within the labour movement the issues confronting The Charter has already been adopled by a number of trades councils and union branches, and has become the basis for organising local activities in several aneus.
The most ektensive plans so far have come from Hackney Trades Council, which will be holding a Charler conference in September A series of local public meetings are planned as a build up to the conterence, These meennes aTe projected as forums for discussion on such topics as equal pay and op portunities, prices, and nursery and Meanwhile, a questionnaire has been drawn un ler circulation to shoo stem ands' committees, inguiring about women's pay and conditions and what the unions have done to improve them, Hackney Wick bes boen chosen as an area for is to be carried out into the situation of women workers in the factocies, bospitads, and schools in the locality.
Jane Leggett, a Hacknes teacher who Orst faied the Carlet on Che trade: council, told Red Weekly that there was some opposition at first from a few deleg atos to the inclusion of the domsand for thee abortion and contraception But the chairman insisted that it remain. He argued thad it would alicaare some people hut this was all the more reason for including it, and adding an explanatory note to the Charler abour how women's situation af work must be taken up in the context of their role in the family.
Fram the nitial idea of a single public meeting we've progressed to a programme of activities which will involve mase leafleting and publicity. The ideas were drawn up by the vomen on the trades council, an they have the full backing of th counciL 'I spoke at Hackney's May Day rally, and afterwards about 50 women Cald they were willine to heln. Waist particularly anxious to reach the wort en, many of them immigrants, who work in the tailoring sweat-shops, and we have asked Hackney AntiRacialism Committee, women's centres tenants associations, and Under-5s groups to be imolved in the campaign around the Charter. We have speakers available to explain the Charter do trade union branches and other organisations The next meeting of the Working Women's Charter Group is on Senday, 18 May, at 11 am in rocan Зe, Unisersity of London Union, Maler Street, London WCT. Minutes and details of future meetings from: Linda Smith, 97 Caledonian Rond, London NI.
say so and warn the membership ahout the danger of a sell-out by Scanlon and the leadership.
The nexr battle for the engineers will be to ensure that local settlements put at least the full national increase into the pay packer. The employers will try to crode the rise, by consolidating bonus and other payments This battle should centre around demands for:
"An across-the board increase of at least t3.50 per week thronghout the industry.
* A 35 hour week and 4 weeks paid holiday (as originally demanded in the national claim).
* Larger increases for women and abolition of special women's • All rises to be fully protected against inflation by threshold agreements with the "threshold set at 0 (n siding senle of wages).
The first lesson of the recent victory is that these local struggles should be centralised as effectively as possible oo a national level. The recall of the National Conference of convenors-which has already met twice in Manchester is the first step towards achieving this.
Red Weekly 16 May 1974 Page 3