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mitments and their ability to fully participate in trade union affairs. The practice of the TUC As the Working Women's Charter Campaign continues to grow — in many areas concentrating on the demand for abortion at present the TUC has searched in its dust-covered cupboards and has come up with a Charter it produced in 1963!
The South Fast Regional Council of the TUC chose International Women's Day March 8 to publish a revised. version of this document. a 12-point Charter for Women at Work. At a conference where the unveiling took place, the gross inadequacies of the TUC Charter were taken up by most of the delegates present.
The preamble of this revised document informed us that the TUC Charter for Women first appeared in 1963 estrange that hardly anyone had heard of it!) and that it had been revised to "bring it in line with the needs of today"
But in speech after speech. it hecame quite clear that this Chartor failed completely to confront in any incaningful way. the real problems facing women today. No attempt is made to abolish the false division made between women isolated in the home and those struggling in the workplace. There is no mention of such key issues as abortion and contraception facilities. lamily allowances, national minimum wage in order to fight against women's low pay (although this is TUC policy), or of opposition to deterioration of working conditions. As if that weren't enough, the TUC Charter has not even a word on the role of women in the trade union movement.
Photo: Angela Prillips is also sadly lacking. The above is a photo of women forced to look after their children as The Women's Advisory Committee of the TUC, which formulated the revised Charter without consulation with any trade union or women's organisation whatsoever, clearly spell out their aim to consolidate the traditional view held of the woman's role in society. When it is suggested that temployers must accept the need for women to work the hours which would enable them to meet their commitments as mothers, or assist them to care for elderly dependents' the TUC is in effect telling women to help the State solve the problems which are faced in social spending They are placing the tasks of child-care, of care of the elderly which are the responsibility of the Welfare State hack on the shoulders of women. Rather than addressing itself to the necessity of a national effective campaign for free 24hour child care facilities, the TUC is simply attempting to alter the work conditions of women sc they can curry out these responsibilities themselves! The idea of fresing women from these responsibilities does not enter into the TUC Charter!
All these points came under very heavy fire from many delegates at the Conference. The idea of even trying to amend such a document was rejected. Rather the necessity for the labour and trade union movement to continue to adopt the ten-point Working Women's Charter (of the former London Trades Council) as the basis of an ongoing campaign against women's oppression was stressed, INGRID FALCONER The TUC Women's Charter fails to understand the connection between women's home comwell as trying to listen to the debate at the Conference. No nursery facilities were provided.
Photo: Angela Phillips (IFL)
Winmarie Greenland, from Camden Teachers Association addresses the S.E. Region Conference of the TUC