strikers would swing the balance in favour of a speedy victory.
The Trico strike has drastically revealed the inadequacies of the Equal Pay Act, and the union's refusal to appear at the Tribunal has exposed these bodies as tools of the employers. When the Trico women lobby the TUC this week, they will be raising the question of what the trade union movement can do to make equal pay for equal work a reality, instead of a paper promise.
The Sunday Times pointed out that firms implementing equal pay may be restricted by this round of the pay policy. Trico falls into this category, because the Tribunal's decision against the women has left the dispute as a simple wage claim as far as the Government is concerned-and a wage claim which exceeds the 4½ per cent But a mass campaign for equal pay must make it clear, as the Trico women have done, that there can be no compro mise on equality. The social contract, o which the pay policy is a part, was sold to the unions through promises that the position of women and the low paid would be improved. Yet with every phase ireland; it is snared by the ruling class press and even sections or me fert press NOTICY East London IMG, £17 Subscribe NAME.... TWO SUNDAYS AGO, Jonathan Dimbleby revealed on the David Frost television programme that ITV and BBC entered into a pact that the views of those fighting British imperialism in Ireland would never be transmitted to the British public. This revelation comes as no surprise to those who have watched television's coverage of Ireland over the last seven years. And television is not alone in the stream of garbage it releases on Red Weekly has no such pact of silence. In the past few weeks we have interviewed a leading member of the Provisional Republican movement, publicised the treatment of Republican prisoners, and given in detail the truth about the women's 'peace' movement. No paper, either on the right or the left, can equal this record-and we incosts money, and covering Ireland means expensive phone calls, subscriptions to Irish So instead of following Mr Frost's advice and protesting to the BBC about its coverage of Ireland, it is much easier and more effective to read and build Red Weekly. Money now to: Fighting Fund, 97 Caledonian Road, London N.1. We've already had a good start to September, receiving £76.20 last week. Our thanks to: D.A. Russell, E3; J. Pellatsch, £28; M. Black, £20; J. Blanco White, £7; Hayes supporter, £1.60; South tO SUBSCRIPTION RATES DOMESTIC: £7 per year £3.50 for six months FOREIGN: E9 per year surface mail £12 per year airmail
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TRICO 19853