Kigass the Pickets

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if he'd be there at night?

Day after day, day after the pale face at the curtain. What need to move, to stir at all, when love was still so certain?

Her situation as a married woman, confined and isolated in the home by circumstances, inner and outer, is opposite to that of the Mariner whose isolation takes place on the turbulent open seas. The images are reversed.

Her rage and inner turmoil is suppressed in favour of the apparent security of 'walls and ceilings everywhere' She does not know that she shares it in common with anyone else. This is her isolation.

houses, rows of women, silent and alone; Ionly knew my own constraint, knew my own.

The heroine finds in the Left an alternative to this ISLINGTON Sunday June 13, Thornhill Neighbourhood Project, Caledonian Rd., 3.00pm. Tea/coffee and sandwiches. For babysitting ring 6075268.

Contact:

Solidarnosc Trade Union Working Group, 64 PhilWORKERS' March against Racism: FROM Brick Lane through Brixton to TUC conference in Brighton. September 4 to 8. Sponsors include: Jayaben Desai, Anwar Ditta, Nasira Begum, Tony Benn, Ted Knight, Ken Livingstone, Paul Boateng. Details 01-274 3951.

And how many women have lost their integrity and identity as individuals as a result of oppressive relationships? How many men fail to realise that it is they who have made her like this - an emotionally dependent dead-weight of a woman, who feels she has no existence outside of the relationship?

But the Ancient Feminist implies that changes in society can only come from individual development. Part of her rejection of the Left is our claim to have an objective analysis of political developments. Her doubts about the women's movement are based solely on the effects of its conflicts on individuals, not on whether its existing politics are able to • achieve women's liberation.

She champions the understanding of human emotion and relationships as against the analysis of wider political processes. She denies the effects of general political change on individuals and the ability of Marxists to relate to general experiences with London Workers Socialist League classes on basic Marxism. Next class: The Transitional Programme. Friday June 11, 7.30pm. For venue write to PO Box 135, London N1 ODD.

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The story also implies that the ditterent qualıtıes of men and women in capitalist and pre-capitalist socieities are immutable -that women understand emotion, while men attempt to be rational. This is exactly why socialists do have to hear what she is saying. It is only by changing in ourselves the division of qualities ascribed to us as men and women in this society that we can actually rise above the criticisms implied by this work.

Unless we combine our will to understand the world and act on it with a will to understand ourselves, we will cause the need for numerous ancient feminists, ancient gays, ancient blacks and ancient workers who rejected the idea that the class struggle was relevant because the socialists didn't understand how their oppression had affected them as individuals.

POLISH SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN bulletin: new issue out now. Individual copies, or saje-or-return bundles, can be obtained from Marion Pitman, 29 Hampton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex :01-898 7165), at 30p per copy.

Subscription £2.50.

by Judith WOULD you work a 40 hour week for a maximum of £42.50, less if you are a school leaver, in a factory with no regard for health and safety, no protective clothing even if you use acid, no canteen and in general, appalling conditions and facilities?

Well, women workers at the Leamington Spa factory of Kigass Engineering who do work in such conditions decided enough was enough and went on unofficial strike.

But finding the situation impossible with no proper union, and with promises of better working conditions the workers went back.

Nothing got better so the women decided to put up a fight for an AUEW branch.

The boss, Arthur Wardman, not acquainted with 20th century working conditions, and not seeing the need for a union, refused to recognise the AUEW.

That was nine weeks ago and last friday, workers decided to continue striking for better pay and conditions and AUEW recognition.

They unanimously voted down Wardman's proposals which were AUEW recognition on the basis of a 50point rules and regulations agreement, the main clause of which is to split. the most militant of the strikers up by sending them to Abex (a sister firm whose workers are also in dispute) ten miles away and giving them different jobs in the same factory, not wanting, as he put it, "to upset his loyal workThe alternative proposal, which did not receive much welcome either was an £8 pay rise without union recognition.

If the Kigass women are to win then a veto of all goods going to and from Kigass is essential. Kigass is a supplier to most major engineering firms, including Rolls Royce, whose workers in Coventry have already blacked parts.

This is a double blow since apparently the parts being blacked are essential components for the Harrier jump jets at present in action in the South Atlantic.

Despite a bad press from the locai media, which has been falsely stating that the women have returned to work, the workers continue their fight undaunted.

At the moment, the workforce that is still in, is Just ending a week's holiday and so is the boss but rumour has it that a couple of his henchmen are still around, hence the presence this week of only a skeleton picket.

But from Monday 7 June there will be stronger pickets and supporters of the strikers are welcome to come along and join the picket.

If you cannot do so, make sure you have done the following:

*Send a letter of support to the women workers on strike.

*Send a donation.

*Ask for a speaker your local Labour Party trade union branch.

The address is: c/o J. Patson, 13 South Terrace, Witnash, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

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