Rome countries of the EEC - Britain, Italy have failed to comply with its regulations.
The charges against Britain are as follows:
Equal pay: the latest figures show April the average weekly iromen were only 60 per cent of men's, less than in 1975.
Social security: gross inequalities exist such areas fares, invalidity retirement Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982 Kigass strikers in Leamington Spa into fourth week of struggle - a document signed by all member Belgium and benefits. These are exempted Uul 'equality' laws.
Norman Tebbit, as the Minister of (un) Employment, replied to the European Court that women in Britain do get equal pay but the facts speak other. wIsc.
During the five years between the passing of the Equal Pay Act and its implementation, employers were able to manoeuvre regarding women so that their work would not even 'broadly similar to men.
his meant that some cases the Equal Pay Act actualv led to an in crease in job segregation through designating areas as women's work only.
The Act failed for two fundamental First, because so many WORK part time.
Over 40 per cent of women worneis alc par umers. In April 1980 their average hourly rate was £1.67 com pared that for full time men of £2.87. takes no accal p of Ais. Equal Act The Act savs that vou are entitled to equal pay proLacc material differences betand that of a man'.
Fate Althougl women make up 42 per cent of the entire workforce they are only to be found in one quarter of all occupations generally in the least skill Mechanical engineering ¿nemica s Metal goods All manufacturing industry * at September 1981 Table 1.10 cannot afford 1o their fate the Icave hands of the courts.
Second, and most importantly, women are more segregated within the labour market now than they were in the nineteenth century. system of attecting women and blacks exists within the highly stratified British workforce.
The Equal Opportunities Commission proposals for changing the Government law to tne over a year ago.
that the Equal Pay Act be amend DIODUSEN ed to include a 'notional man', that is, a woman 44.0 U9 40 105,900 (45) 105,400 1,645,000 Source: Employment Gazette January 1982 Table 1.3, December 1981 pay for work of equal value is also included the proposals; this would involve an equal value which clause woman could compare her job with a dissimilar job incorporating similar levels of skill or value.
Change Such proposals do not really get to the root of the problem. The question of wno would evaluale ine jobs and criteria would be used is not dealt The evaluation of and arvisions into men's and women's jobs is at the heart of the protees but by the strength of the mass movement force the issue rea equality for women and for the working class as a whole.
The Tories solution is very radical send women out of jobs and in to the home. The labour movement must reniy will bold policies and with ad NATIONAL UPRISING O PUBLIC EM'a OYEES
-LABOUR'S INDEPENDENT WEEKLYNext week, make Tribune TWO weekly journals of the labour movement have just appointed new editors. New Statesman's Hugh Stephenson is the compromise candidate between the left and the right and will probably take the magazine further into decline. Tribune, once the house journal of Labour's parliamentary left, has a falling circulation of only 8,000.
CHRIS MULLIN, takes over as editor. In the forefront of the Benn for deputy campaign last year, he intends to the forum for the left in its broadest sense. recognises that he will be directly in competition with New He get rid of nuclear weapons, it would withdraw from the Common Market, put une callul inflation a priority would actually win votes. That lessor isn't understood in the demoralised and tired section of the leadership. 2228242222922222 The Labour left is not seen to be in the forefront of the mass campaigns such as CND issues raised around El Salvador, MAY DAY of jobs SPECIAL ISSUE around -LABOUR'S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
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THIS Tory government is on trial by the Euro- pean Court of Human Rights for infringing the rights of women. According to the Treaty of