Kath Cirket left), who callad for a national support committee to be set up. Now the women have been sold out by their "leaders'. AUEW CONFERENCE Six elected positions are presently at at stake in the AUEW. These include the posts of four national organisers, one scat on the executive and the key position of union general secretary.
What makes the general secretary's that position has control of the union journal, its soscarch department, inf ormation activities and stalf appointCANDIDATES The candidates for the general secrotaryship include extreme right-winger John Boyd, the nomince of the Broad-Left, Boh Wright, plus nine no-hopers Boyd i an old huddy of Carron who, in his perind of presidency of the AUFW steered and bludgeoned the union on a consistently right-wing line. Boyd specialises in anti-communsan and was the night's nominee in the Last canspoipn upanst Hugh Scanion.
True to form trombone playing Salvation Army memBer Boyd struck another low mole by desouncing memhers at Hoovers in Scutland, now in the seventh week of unofficial strike.
Wright, a left membor of the Lahour Party, sails close to the line of the Communist Party, particularly in the AUFW The battle lines are being drawn in the AUEW for the forthcoming union elections. JEFF KING looks at the various candidates and the issues behind them Wilson and company would dearly love to see the right back in control and lined up behind the social contract. They also know that an AUEW dominated by the right en the potential opposition of groups of Labour MPs to the Labour leaders job so important is that whoever holds openly class collaborationist policies.
The employers have a vested intcrest in the victory of Boyd and his Ichlow rights. A new pay claim is duc shortly from the engineers- who of ficially oppose the social contract. A national claim that gnes heyand the limits of the social contract would have devastating effects on this sector of the cconomy. A national engincering strike would bring the poonomy crashing down. it could set an example and spark off similar claims from hundreds of thousands of workers in other industries and unions.
The first task in the AUEW electons is to detcat the right wing. The repainting of control in the AVEW by the right would make the struggle on wages and The Tight against redwould heip the Wilson-Murray axis in the Labour Parly and the TUC at • time when these people are desperately trying to line up the labour movement bchind the interests of capitalisin.
Members of London-bused women's final preparations for the first dele held this Saturday.
months work around the Charter which has been a means of reaching both at home and at work -ing hil especially hard by the soaring rates of inflation, vast shorlages in housing cutbacks in social expenditure and chronic low pay.
has so tar accomplished two things.
Firsily, it has opened up a debate in the labour movement which draws the connections between women's would weakFurthermore, groups, trade unions, tenants associations, and trades councils are making gate conference of the London Working Women's Charter Campaign to be women.
This is the culmination of seven around its demands and helping to organise women whoare beorous local campaigns, This campaign around the Charter "We have been sold out" was the bitter role in the tamnly and their position in the labour force. The task now is to overcome the reluctance of the trade unions to pay anything more than lip service lo the problents of Secondly, the Charter campaign has beought together militants in a locality who are prepared to fight A large number of trades councils have sponsored the London conference and have been urged by the militants in their area to launch vieThree trades councils in London Hackncy, Breat and Faling/Southall have organised theit own conferences. as have Edinburgh, Colchester, Notting- solve any of women't problems Only ham, Lancaster, and Bristol, These instratives, along with those of the Manchester Charler group in their work with the SEI equal pay strikers Only last Saturday a mass rally pledged full support to the SEl strikers. Among the speakers was Sheffield AUEW shop steward the wolen workers at Wingrove and Rog have prepared the way for calling tor a national conference from the Lon don meeting.
The development of a national perspective is crucial in this period. The trade union hurcaucfacy has entered into a social contract with the Labour Ciovernment, They have agreed to keep things calm on the wages front in return Tor social concessions, Women cannot, however, afford to keep to the bocial contract. Any concessions granted food subsidies, rent freezes, etc. are totally inade quate in the lace of a rate of inflation as high as 20 percent.
Not will Lahour's Charter for Wo men or their Anti-discrimination Bill by direct action will any progress be made. it is such action we shall be discussing on 26 October in London. KATHY YOUNG ressive forces in the union. This means.