The National Conference of Labour Women on June 17th met under an ominous cloud. As dele. gates pointed out, with inflation estimated to reach over 17% by the autumn, women-the majorit! of the low paid workers -were bound to be hit hardest.
A resolution calling for a national minimum wage of £70 for a 35-hour week was therefore unanimously greeted as was one designed to curb the 'differences' between men and women's earnings. Despite the introduction of the Equal Pay Act, this difference has not decreased but actuaIly increased. Conference therefore passed a motion designed to bring women's earnings into line with men's by establishing a minimum basic hourly wage (based on 2/3rds of national average earnings) SLIDING SCALE In order to safeguard wages agains: the ravages of inflation in the period to come, conference also passed a motion calling for a sliding scale of wages. The scale would be linked to a cost ofliving index worked out by trade unior. ists and women's committees.
Although pioneered by womer. this demand is obviously of con. cern to the whole trade union movement. Creating united actic: around such a demand to protes: living standards could unite wide layers of the unions in a comme:struggle against the divisions rs: necessarily develop when the "strong win and weake: -..? go to the wall.
As one delegate, Mrs Kate Dias pointed out, it was not just low pay that women were concerred with. The Tories' savage socie expenditure cuts would fall or them hardest pushing thousands out of a job.
Conference passed a motien calling on the wider trade unier. movement both to protect women's jobs and to help organke those layers which were still no: in a union and thus vulnerable employers' attacks.
FIGHT These demands, while key if women's jobs and wages are to te protected, will not be won witheu: a fight however. Women in the unions and Labour Party have to fight to win the broader labour movement to take up their specia demands and help them in the struggle for decent employment and wages.
K. Finch Reed's work, spanning 30 years was a major contribution both to women and the marxist move. ment. Her understanding of the oppression of women-and her determination to fight it-charac. terised her whole life. Long before others, she began the task of wri:ing women back into history. c: explaining the social roots of the:: oppression and charting a course for liberation within the frame. work of humanity's liberation from capitalism.
The best hommage that can be paid her is to carry on the strugg where she left off.