ANNA Walentynowicz. is 50-year-old Polish woman, the mother of children, political activist, leader of workers' uprising in her country. A crane operator, she has worked tor 30 ycars Lenin shipyard in Gdansk.
Today more and wornes the advanced capitalist countries fighting for access to such jobs.
In Italy, in a little less than years, women have been successful in getting jobs.at the giant Fiat industrial complex, employs 250,000 to 300,000 workers in Turin.
At the end of the 1940s, Italian workers fought for and won legislation stipulating that hiring in unskilled jobs be done through lists set up by administration and under the control of the unions.
For a number of years this law was dead letter. around 1974, in the face of a wave of factory youth began soil of occupations unemployment offices and held demonstrations in the northern part of the country to force implementation of the law.
The victory thạt resulted not only established hiring lists controlled by the unions; it also prohibited sexual discrimination. But in order to make the victory real, the women had to they were not out to steal their jobs.
The bosses discourage the women by givmili- ing them the most difficult and the dangerous workers then convinced their to demand al lne dangerous work for both men and women.
When the Unidal food proHOTe cessing factory, employed a large majority of closed down. women won the collective right 10,000 to be hired in car and steel In all the capitalist counwhich tries, the vast majority women are channelled into industries like electronics, tiles, and sub-assembly in steel and other basic industries. Now they are beginning to win laws would that recognise their right to all kinds of jobs.
A new Swedish law which went into effect on 1 July bans But sexual discrimination in hiring. Women's equality committees tried to. exist in several unions. Women working in the have led a struggle against porThe women nography in the workplace.
With the current recession, less the gains won in the United States and threatened. pushed completely out of certain industries discriminatory 'temporary' layoffs, many of which become permanent.
Obstacles
But experience shows that the fight by women to get into heavy industry and to stay there is part and parcel of the fight by the working class as a whole which against unemployment and arbitrary sackings.
the • In Canada, unemployment, a big campaign led by the United Steelworkers in Hamilton forced Stelco to hire some 40 women in a plant of of 10,000 workers.
of railway and other unions tex- and the New Democratic Party are supporting a campaign in Winnipeg for women to get into skilled 'non-traditional' jobs in the Canadian Railway.
The fight for access to jobs in basic industry deepens the fight for the obstacles metal industry elsewhere are Women are being by despite high A number National By Anne Kingsbury, LARC THE Labour Rights Campaign considers that the most serious problem facing women seeking abartion is the lack of NHS facilities:
for parliamentary initiatives to alter the law and make the provision of facilities mandatory authorities.
step towards laws to give access available legal abortion:
other feminist demands. In order to overcome maternity ciccica. by lne employers, women fighting for such jobs have to struggle for other demands like the right to fullest debate Labour National labour ference next We hope the policy Abortion TOT this practice drawn.
activity in The campaign is pressing health - Still make urel LARC sees this as a first circumstances.
the Labour to freely For the first time: a Labour Party manifesto at 5.30pm.
Union abortion, day-care, and paid • leavi against at- and tempts to keep women outside Public •the unions by giving them part-time or temporary jobs. contains a reference to abor. tion. We are anxious for the government legislates to give women an 'effective right to choose' In collaboration with the Abortion Campaign, LARC is organising a movement conMarch, discuss positive legislation.
tha unionists will seek to change on MPs free vote, so that union support is withIn the coming year we will be seeking initiatives in parliament, and promoting the constituencies, towards Labour Party policy for better abortion facilities and for the repeal of the iniquitous laws which abortion criminal offence in certain The LARC meeting at Party conference, to discuss positive legislation, is on Wednesday ABORTION RIGHTS CAMPAIGN LAB
Much Socialist After the last conference, growing numbers of socialist feminists have felt the need to at these questions. There are three general discussion areas for the weekend's scheduled WC2. We need workshop coordinators — if you are interested please phone
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Lack of facilities blocks
abor- tions