'THE lady says she's not for turning lady has turned. The miners turned the lady!' Jane McKay, delegate from the transport workers union to the annual Women's TUC last month gave one of the most stirring contributions.
She pointed to the fight to save jobs at Linwoods 'Our jobs and Lee Jeans. are for sale, she declared. "They're ours to sell'.
Unemployment amongst women was uppermost delegates' DUl strategy was largely absent from the discussion.
opening remarks, Marie Patterson, Chanelsun of LIC Women's Advisory ComNot the uc con demned the attempt by the Tories Gave wonder back into the home, to lay unemployment at their door.
THE majority of the workers at Lee Jeans in women about their experiences.
Linda: We think it was all planned three years ago it's nonsense to say they do that if we keep our jobs asses Ireland will have to lose their's. move to reland for proto boss wallls It's cheaper labour in Ireland and the company wouldn't pay rents and rates there.
We're asking for the books to be opened so that we can see if they're losing money or not.
If they can prove then we'd give up for the sake of the Irish lasses. But - but the The right to work, she said, belonged woman.
She advised the delegates fight for the TUC'S campaign Economic and Social Advance and to join tivities like the TUC Week of Action, which this year involves a lobby of Parliament wolnCIl employed the school meals service Debate aroun the conference motions on the Issuc was d Calaluzuc woes delegate after delegate got up to detail the latest statistics for their One older delemausu y. gate told the conference, Everything we fought for in the thirties has been Meanwhile, strikers Lee jeans weren't Lee Jeans is the trade name of the VF CorEllen: Well you've got to fight for your jobs, otherwise this country is going to be a scrapheap.
Linda: Anyway
coon runs nere. having discos and parties our mordie woll t gu down.
Caroline: It's difficult for the married OliC kids, but most of us are single don't have any responsibilities.
The old ones could have got more redundancy money too, incy ve given up more really. I've only given up f29. even asked by the WACto address the conference. They were left literally out in the cold, on the doorstep of Southport's Floral Hall, collecting tins hand.
Disgust To the disgust of many delegates, similar ment was not extended to Southport's Tory Lord Mayor, and local employers federation member, who was to speak to the conference like an old friend.
A motion on positive action, called for the TUC to initiate a campaign for legal measures and for improvements in collective bargaining, to ensure the elimination of job segregaLost The motion ried without opposition and with delegates calling for the trade unions to put their own house in order' and take positive steps to include women the decision making bodies of the trade union move ment.
But then the majority of delegates VOLed against a motion proposed the NUJ which called upon the to give automatic time on its conference agenda to five of motions disucssed at the the Women's TUC One could be forgiven for wondering whether delegates really stood what positive action
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Greenock are young and female. As they head into the third month of a sit-in to save their jobs, Judith Arkwright spoke to some of the
poration, an American multi-national that is seeking to close its Greenock plant and move production to its Belgian and Irish factories.