INTERNATIONAL Women's Year a great leap forward in the position of women. The Labour Party, in particular, claims to champion their cause.
Yet it is a Labour MP. James White, who has been leading the cam paign to restrict abortion. Chi equal pay Labour's much-touted legislation is full of loopholes. And on the provision of murseries its record and proposals are an absolute scandal.
Although the provision of nurseries is a precondition for any real equality in pay, opportunity, and education; training the just-published Anti-Discrimination Bill has no proposals at all to make on this score. The Labour Government has also turned a blind eye to the campaigo by students for nurseries to be provided at every college. In fact there ute Jess nursery places today than han there were in the 1930s.
But the Goverment cannot fall back and rigares, Its own surecy shows that tho nember of women who go out to work. Women student militants in Sheffield, backed by the trades council Working Woren's Charter sub committee, demand better local nursery facilities.
as a proportion of'all women, has risen has been heralded as the occasion for Iron 1931 to 1971 by between 2473 and 540% for different groups between (because of the rise in the population) is much larger. And this dees cot allow for the large number of women who would retan to work but for this proble However the Labour Gorrainent's general policy of continuine with the Tories cuts in social expenditure has moant that it has refused to relas the Necessary resources to develop child-caro provisicins to mateh the encreasing need.
been some asparsion -in nursery school places - this is by no means an unqualitied gain The few hours that children can spend there and the break for school holiday's ancan that they are next to use Jess for working motlien, Induod, their of literacy and discipline which propares them for primary education.
of women in this case, the treving of on the excuse that it doesn't know the laels willing to take on certain aspects of capitalist order. While the State has heen women's function in the randy in the inturosts of producing a litorate and disci the child's welfuc a fal-lame or part-tie basis. the ages of 20 and 44. The absolute incacase neat take it an unment task to unrunise a student alsons etc Even in the one area where there has main purpose is to give the children a level for the carpaign.
This illustrates bow the Government's social poury is geared not to the liberalion murly housing estade can join together to women for sole and individual responsits the vicinity which micets their mutual bitty for child cane but to the needs of the needs. It is only by organising such a formand lor women.
Ann Foreman Tavour of preserving the basic ties of women to children and the family.
Yet the liheration of women, for which the Labour Goverument cinims to be so concerned, is moraly an empty phrase if it docs not mean that society takes on a collective responsihility for the upbringing of children. This dous not mean the destruction of the relationship between mother ano crud, bat tat women should not be Tarted to take the sole responsibility for Whulse the Labour Gorornment tielits shy of providing adequate nurseties for working women, a signiticant member of employer have taken the initintive lo provide nursuries at choir lactories. Before melooming those gortleen to the fold of surer's liberation, however, wu should take a carctid look at dielt reusons.
In the face of the economic crisis, the coplayers are Jooking for any method of increasing productivity. To guarantee of a Terable and passes workforce would bo a real boon for tom And by oflering nursery provisions, wisch there is a real shorlage, they hope to actrict and th warien to atking for low wagas on cither These desclopments the initiatino of the employees, the policy of the Covere campaign for nurseries which meet the bends of women cand children! It Central now tinarkal Dy lou Slate bur onder the control of the labour movement through the trade unions, tenants associations.
Already beadway has beet made in some arcas In Sheffield, stidents as part of their activity in the NUS Women's Cartipaign have launched a general campaign on the lack of nursery facilitias locally. Last month, with the hacking of the Tmoc Council Working Women's Charter sub committed they held a baby demo", both to demane adequate facilices from the counci and to draw in more support Their lead can be followed in other areas and uxtended. For example, trade unionists in a particular factory and tecants from a demand that the council provides a nunsory campaigs on nurecries that we can goatantoe that 1975 really does mark a step WC1X. 9DE.
in 1966. LAST MONTH THE LIAISON COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENCE OF Trade Unions held its first conference since the Labour Government was elected. At a time when the working class is facing attacks on its living standards and rising unemployment, the events at this meeting are an opportunity to make an assessment of the industrial aims and tactics of the Communist Party, which has controlled the LCDTU since it was formed Only 300 delegates attended this latest meeting of the LCDTU, and