La verdict of death by self neglect". But president of the GMC (doctors" official June 22ml meeting. As was made quite were meeting to discuss force-feeding. Dear Red Peckly, IMG. The BMA produced an extreme meeting were. the press which managed to conclude.
An example of their contradictory their own union beanches.
therefore fuils to save life) is still not things the Charter.
Fraternally, Irene Bruegel REPLY occurred through oditing.
political organisations. Your report of the Working Romen's Charter meeting; of June 22nd is so dislorted as to raise the question wherher your reporter' was there at all and what your motives in heporting' the It is completely untrue tand if st woe true, Ircelevant) that 'IS wete putting in their first appearance of the campaien. IS members have participared campaign. in carlier public meetings of the Charter and indeed in the oreanisation of ENe clear on June 22nd. IS members have been active in putting the charler to For instance, as a member of Caden Trades Council, 1 would never suggust that Trades Councils were the bodies that women should look to primarily. Indeed that proposition hardly tallies with the hammering away of the theme of raak and file movements which E was supposed to have made. What 1 did maintain was that women wha were active politically pught to he putting the Charter through odier croups able to take effective action on ts demands. particularly the unions. This was down in writing, so shouldn t have becil difficult for you to report correctly.
Targued against the aftiliation of political groups as such on the grounds that this hailt in a tendency for sectarian squabbling which could only weaken the Charler. This hardiy ponstitutes being unclear about die purpose of having political organsations affilated rather a clear appreciation of the reasocis wly not. (Indeed the only reason giver hy ING members for such affiliation was to provide a means of judone the left, which bear out my point, if anyIt is simply preposous to report that I wid "la 15 it was not the role of woes to take decisions on such matters Even if this were the case which it is not) a leading 'spukesperson for an organisation would hardly proclan wach a situation to a meering of munica workers. What Tactually said, in arguing against the aftulation of politic proups was that it was not up to 15 to take decisions for a genuine rank and file movement. IS members do of course Fight within their unions for their The most disturbing element of your report was your arreck on 1s policy Vo such attack was made by the iNG al the mocting which was a uscful nongian discussion at strategy. The mal resolution which was passed was proposed effeat, ideacical with the proposal put forward by IS carrades, racisty that Trade Union branches, workplace groups and trades councils should Tore the initial delegate structure around the Charter and that any otner organisations ma position to effectively mobilise on the demands of the Charter could subseque unly he accepted by that delegate body as possible.
an affiliated organisation. IMG and IS were united on this, only the Maoists being opposed, To attack IS policy is then samply disingenions.
IS merbers invalved in the Charter are interesled in building a genuine organisation of working women around be achieved if Red Weekly persists in its sectarian labrications, which, incidentally.
hear Little relation to the stance and attitudes at ING wanna involved in NOW of work, delegates from the shop-floor would provide political direction for the The ING far from hasing their argument for political affiliations on the grounds that it would allow others to "judge the left, emphasised that tovolutionary orginisations and their members should provide political leadership not only on the shop floor, but also could contribude greatly to the developDent or tennet Campaig For example, do we see die campaign simply as a pressure group to persuade the Labour government to implement the Equal Pay Act now? The ING thinks not. We believe that any gains made on equal pay, the first demand of the Charter, will be made through the sell througe relying on the Lahour government's good will. Other groups will have ditferent ideas, but these naust be thor oughly debated so that we can develop the most effective campaign.
The main criterion set down for allowing any group to affiliate is an assessment of the group's ahility to reach and help or gonise miticant women workers. In this respect. we must analys past struggles women have been inolved in: Fakenham, Lancasrer Cleaners. London Night Cleaners, etc In cach of ihese struggles the mass arguisations of the working class the trade unions and the Lahour Party-clearly were war in the leadership. The revolution any organisations wove able to have a sig nsficant impact.
For a variety of Teasins • inchudiny Women's historical lack of in regration into the traditional orginialions of the working class - women are often very open to new forms of struggle and to new political sleus To overlook the ability of revolutionary organisations to reach militant women is to cut ourselves off from an important source of new support For the Charter To place the affilation question in terms of those groups who are port of the hrosder labor nwwement-axIS motivates che inclusion of Tenants Associations and Claimants Unions is bo pose a tame acoate - whetlier or not an cognisation qualifies for membership into the broader labour movement. More importantly, the IS position implies a reliance on the traditional take a lead on the Charter. Clearly the vate, ei of right, must be given loony group - including potitical groups organising consistently around the paign the broadest layer of workers There are man other questions arising from the ditterences beturn the ENG and the IS - the right of women's Eiberation groups activel campaigning to vote de of ripit, the use of the Chartor to proside a basis for negotiacions in trade unions, and the affiliation basis for groups such as Unions. Hopefully, readers will write into the Red Weekly on these particular questions DODIE WEPPLER