IF YOU are a wòman 'and live in the United States you can work as a miner or a steelworker. Not so in Britain, where protective legislation and timid equal rights legislation ensure that many industrial jobs are still exclusive to men. Why the difference?
Artmal ve action means taking measures to overcome the unequal position of • women, and oppressed nationalities, which in the case of the ÚSA means particularly people from Mexico and Puerto Rico.
There are preferential programmes in the USA, relation to admission to universities. duced in the wake of the black civil rights movement in the early '60s. strengthened 1972 Opportunity (EEOC) was given enforcement powers. Quotas Today every company in the USA employing. moré than 50 people is affirmative action récruitment women and Employers are obliged to meet set quotas, and face heavy fines and the loss of government contracts if they fail to achieve these. The EEOC is considerably stronger than its counterpart in Britain. against the American Telegraph and Telephone company, the firm had to (£17.5m) comensation to ployees. This company 400 middle managers exclusively to implement Lic ul nulativc aut blokeauic.
Before 1973 there were virtually no women coal miners. Women took legal action against a number of mining companies. Last. year they obtained court ruling Consolidated Coal Company of which compelled it to hire one woman for every four men until women reached 32.8 per cent of the workforce.
Rather than face Cl balcspecial training; jobs, and They were introLegislation was when Equal Commission programmes for their training.
When it took out à case pay out $35m women emnow employs. some against the Tennessee, awards. similar action, other had "voluntarily" begun hiring A female plumber is still a karity women as miners. By 1978, the number of women in the coal mines had risen to more than twothousand.
How does this compare with the situation in Britain? Lost Yara total of 35 momen, ece vin between More than half of these awards were les aan discrimination at OnC SOLLUli . WULCLE legislation whole group of women. £200. Only two women received more than $1,000. Hardly a big pressure on employers who don't have to make these payments to affected the discrimination, as there are no provisions in our 'class action'. These enable a woman to take a case on behalf of a tribunals in 30 September men!
Counter attack the ability IcislaLIOll.
The National Organisation of working as stevedores!
happy with this gain admittance medical school.
The bosses implications TESCILSS.
While government American experience CHICAS same discuss Sex would union and women's movements. Novembér. Details from: ROW Rd, London WC1. Tel 01-2786349.
Women have been so unsuccessful at the Britain that applications are delining rapidly. Betweeen 1 October 1977 and 1978 nearly a third of the applicants who claimed sex discrimination were Affirmative action in the USA has made a small dent in ine nuge aiscriminatory Darriers ma education and employment for women and blacks. The funds which back up the equality •compel fırms to introduce quotas, and the provisions for 'class action', have torced reluctant employers to act.
Women has sought out male bastions to invade - even in the New York docks there are now women But therulingclass and some members of the white male working class in America is not legislation. The counte! attack has come with reverse discrimination — legal action to claim that it is white men that are being discriminated against, as in the case of Allan Bakke, a white engineer who failed to LO California University are happy the of affirmative action on class consciousness. They are not pleased at women miners' attempts to improve safety conditions Affirmative action will make it more difficult for the employers to fire women as the effects of the economic recession worsen.
legislation has less importance in Britain than in the USA and the trade unions are stronger, it is high time the was looked at more closely by the women's movement and the *Rights of Women is holding a workshop to Discrimination Act and to onsider statie orss hirte y de Saturday , 374 Gray's Inn WHAT'S LEFT • ROCK AGAINST SEYISM Gi . West Indian Centre, Carmoor Manchester, Thur 20 Sept 8.00pm. Adm: 80p waged HACKNEY WRITERS Workshop & Hackne * Islington Music Workshop present a joint SOLS SEOTICS sonucar culune cure. weus y sed. om arır Duke of Wellington, Balls Pond Road, London IMG TRADE UNION fraction metings: 23 ARSIMD September NÀLGO, CPSA. For details write to Centre or EALING CAMPAIGN AGAINST CORRIE planning meeting to organise acuvity agalls ithe Corne Hil includine mobiasing Demo. Ealing Town Hall Wed 19 Sept 7.30pm TOT COULD ANYONE Give-lend-sell Hull IMG a manual for a Roneo 750 electronic duplicator If so ring Angie (0482) 4441922 WORKERS ACTION public meting "Fight : Tories Speaker: Stephe CPSA NEC (in personal Sept 8.00pm Rad, Lon the ABORTION on Demand' Week. PO Box 50. London N1 2XP. Singly 231 each, bulk 12p each. Make cheques or POs ou KGLA LINu teminisc ano cana ureelul need room tortwo monis. none Ulunal 0v2 14 or Freeman 852 1671 ROOKS for Southern Africa comrade money is desperately needed for this vital ficid of international activity. Or send any books Books for Southern Africa, Bon , Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London POLITICAL PRINTSHOP, London, person for design work. Printshop ехрегса would be useful asset. Applicants must has experience design, although would given plications BE Challenge (Print) BOx UNIVERSITYT FI Societ!
Challenge supporters Paspa in Mideton Hall, Hul nigde Patriot Game' (Tirst time in Hull) colunenam ko, rul • HICACES DO IO• TE Ae sellet, socialst books, of sales o Socilist hallenge (Box 64l, PO Bo SсunY,CIc. grätefully I CONCON NED inlist Challenge 13 September 1979 Page 13
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