NALGO women organise

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20 NOW The women were there on the BL picket lines, every bit as irong and as angry as the men SAYOn Saturday. November 14. over 200 NALGO members are meeting in Leeds to discuss a wide range of issues affecting women local government officers.

The National Conference on NALGO and Equal Opportunities has been organised by the Leeds NALGO branch, to continue some of the debates and discussions started at this year's annual conference.

On paper NALGO is by far one of the us progressive unions for women. Recently lt launched a campaign on sexual harassment at work, the first union in Britain to do so.

Unfortunately. many o NALGO's polices have. not been translated into practice. The union has a policy of support for falty comprehensive childcare : facilities ] ( )i women at work. as well as adequate paid maternity and paternity leave facilities, but it is left up to the local branches to organise for the implementation of these policies.

In addition. the union has a clear policy of support for the dispute by the City of Liverpool typists which is taking place at the moment. Although the NEC has urged other branches to take similar action, they have done little to initiate action by typists elsewhere.

The Leeds conference could play a major role in changing this situaton. It will bring together many women activists who are involved in local struggles in the branches.

As Liz White, one of the organisers of the conterence pointed out:

"There is a national network of women who are active in the union but this is not reflected in the formal network of the union on the committees and in the hierarchy"

The conference will provide the opportunity to learn from other branches experiences in organising locally and also to develop and extend these local struggles. A national network of rank and file women activists to coordinate and lead national campaigns IS long overdue.

Among the workshops at the conference are:

*A workshop on NALGO's reaffiliation to the Women's TUC.

*The. rights of working parents, workplace nurseries, how to develop policy into practice.

*Local work in branches *Feminist activities the trade unions *Women. and New Technology •* Sexism Women: at Work to organise against the Heseltine legislation and prepare for the London Labour Party conference on December 12. 7.30, Friday November 27, at County Hall, SE1.

'Imperialism and the Middle East: a Labour response'. Day school organised by six Labour Party branches, with speakers from Turkey, Iran and Palestine.

Saturday November 21, from 2pm at Napier College Students' Union, Merchiston Place, Edinburgh.

Leigh Socialist Organiser discussion meetings.

Sundays at 7.30 at the White Lion Hotel, opposite the Market.

Nov.15: Which road to Nov. 29: Poland, the working class, and Stalinism.

Dec.13: Ireland and the British labour movement.

Southern Africa workshops. A series of meetings to re-examine campaigning methods and develop new strategjes to help make Southern Africa a more urgent public issue will begin on Thursday November 19 at Archway Development Centre, 173 Archway Rd, London N6, at '7.30. Details Gloria 341 0144 or Christina 348 3030.

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Socidisi trkaniser, Thursday 72 November 1987 Paze:

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