When will the fiction that women prefer less skilled, less demanding jobs than men, disappear? Only when women have access to, and avail themselves of, the same training facilities as men. In most fields the interests of men and women workers are the same but an age-old prejudice and the tactic of divide-and-rule obscure this. A recent example can be seen in the Roberts-Arundel dispute, where women were essentially brought in as strike breakers, If they had been integrated into production and the unions on the basis of rights fully equal to those of men, such a situation could not have occurred. It is therefore very important when planning programmes for the advancement of working class interests to constantly bear in mind the necessity for advancing the interests of women within the class. Two proposals which do this, in addition to the demand for equal pay, cre those concerning (a) a minimum wage and (b) day release. The £15 minimum wage would put an extra £5 in the majority of women's wage packets, we can only regret that this proposal was defeated at the recent Labour Party conference. Secondly, it should be obligatory for all employers to grant day release to all employers under 21 years of age. At present the percentage of girls receiving no day-time education in the age group 18-20 is 91.15% and yet girls are in a substantial majority among those enrolled for vocational evening-only courses (92,000 girls to 59,000 boys). Hence, given an opportunity to attend day release courses I'm sure that there would be no lack of volunteers from among the ranks of women workers.
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