NOW Part of the audience at last Sunday's Woren's Charter conference in Brent CALL free collective bargaining. But what A call for the local labour movement to give its full support to the strug gles currently going on at Standard Telephone and Cables in North London, and at Hoover Motors in Perivale came from the first conference of over 150 pcople held last Sunday by the Brent Working Womens Charter Campaign.
Dave Landeu, Secretary of the Joint Shop Stewards Committoo at STC, speaking in a personal capacity spoke of the necessity of the Charter Campaign rallying beltnd the wo men at STC where a major part of the struggle is on equal pay Margaret Thompson. G&MWU shop seward asked the Conference and the Charter Campaign to solidarise in an active way with the Hoover workers 2,500 of whom have been laid off. according to the management, because of 180 men in the toolroom coming out on a pay dispule, Many of the Hoover workers feel chat the toolroom dispute is being made an excuse for mass lay-offs some of which may turn out to he permanent The Conference added its voice In the call, which has already been made from the al-London Charter Conference, for a National Charter Conference, and stressed the need for the Breat Campaign lo make links with other groups in London working around the demands of the At a local level plans lave been made to organise a teade union recruitment drive amongst women in the area, this to be coupled with an liqual Pay Capuign, A speaker from Brent Trades Council pointed out that male trade unionists had failed over the years to adeguately Lake up women's struggles, and stressed that the trades council would be asking all trade unions affiliated to it to set up meetings on the Charter with a speaker from the Breat Charter Carspaign.
Irene Bannan from the Federation of Tenants Associations spoke of the pressing need for nore, better and free nursery facilities both on hous ing estates and at places of work. Creches at factories however had to be controlled by the women using them to prevent employers treating nurseries in a similar way to the tied cottage, as an excuse to give low pay This was cchoed by the sister from Hoover Meters whe pointed nut that the nurseries must have extended hours to suit working mothers if they were to be of real use to factory workers A support sub-committee of the Brent Charler Campaign is to be set up to co-ordinate womens struggles This will bopefully inchude wide representation of the local labour MENUSCRET All interested in participating should attend the next meeting of the Charter Campsion Committee noxe TueseRy, 19 November, at 138 Minet Avenue, London, NW10.