Not Beaten

February 23 maw thir acesptance by the Trish Congress Of Trade Unioos ({ICTO)

of the [977 National Wage Agrecmont (MWA). While dolegste after delesate troaped ta the rostrum ta danfunce the deal for fatling to keep up with prices, ar fer shifting the burien of the recession on ta the backs of the workers, while the myjority of those wha remain in favour of WA's remained tight-Lipped and silent. Thatts not surprising ag it becomes increazingly difficult for these trade unionists to adrec= ate such agreements aa puhateas ta workers feeling the bite of inflatif. - Even Ruaidhri Roberts agreed, in sacking the ratification of Congress, that "Nebody was claimin® that thig pay=deal would guarantee full Pretection againat increases in the soost of living over the perled of the agreement". He weot on to tell the conference ‘that the budgetary provigions for increased employment fell shart of the measures. considered by Congress to be necessary and mtlined in their suhmigsion to the Minister for Finance: before the Budget.

A PAY PAUSE It would Save been more bhoorst of feberts and -ather aereement suppert= ers ta teel the workers what this deal really is, 4 pay paliae which atfactively extemis inte a pay freeee for Many of the weaker sections of the working clase. The proposal for a [4 Month agreement which includes a 3 month pause to be followed by two Phased incroases exch of 23% plus a. The first increase will be paid imodiutely after the pause and will be fallewed by oa aecond increase 7 months later. Each phase is subject toa Hiininn increase of £2 a week and a maximin of £4.13p. set against a rery high rate af inflation of areund 204 amd in the framework of highly restrictlve clauses, which deny the right ta workers to strike for eqdal pay the abolition of anomglies. Ta onder= stand bow the proposals for the D977 MWA camy to be hammered out, it is Mthsdacy to go back ta July 197% and the conclusion of the interin agreement for that year.

Instat face pS sextality while many others reuct in revuleion against the exploitationg of humgoa semaality by big business. WORKERS STILL CUOVERNMENT AK BUBRADCEAT MANCEIVELES Tageed on as: Clause 22 was a commit mot by wilong and emplorere to Meet in Septoober D976, and discuss the possibility of » further agreement. Bat af groster Gnportance wae another sommitnent that hath sides would mot the government for a series oF egy. ‘The tripartite talks started on Octaker with Otleary promising 3 £10m, package of tax concessions and a job creation peagramie, if there was a cay [reese until the end of Ta77.. These talks Lumbered cen withoagt any agreement being reached, for four weeks, Thea the Enployer-Laheur conference mot in Hoyenter to begin discussions of a Wags Pact.

These tripartite talks were wed te dupe the workers inte thinkisg that they were going to be allowed som; saydn the direction of social sod econemle palicy, The pos turings af the Trade Union bureautracy went taken conceptions of what these talks really represented. Pro of increased tam alloxances (which were goly partially oat) and social walfare bonetits along with postulated plans foro jabs creation proc Tame, wera enough te buy aff the trade union leaders, even though the Midget gltications bave fallen far” short of the targeta they set. Only Rddice Lavless of the Nationsl Eeecuttye of the ITOW0 was lonéet enoug ta point this out and call on fede tere 2a Teject the agreement, Tt is alsa interesting te note tat the repart of the National Prices Gomdgaion, which yas prepared some mnths back, was only released after workers. discussions on economle and: social stratLong way to Pedntercing these Mis= cupba rgd « the Bodaet aod the slgning of the Mua. hold together, These difficulties will arise on 3 different levels:

A> Acrery sprang sector within the working claga, the Poblic Service Workers, These hewe had t endure s goverment eoburgo on all claims. There bs ao great deol of unrest and clashes are Likely to break out. Ti Closely commectad ig the gquestion af equal pay for women = Large Titibers af whem work an the public service, ‘where the existence of "single and married grades! is. proying a black to the equalisation of fates of pay. In the private sectar also, the use of the grading system [there by Placing Wann at the oattam of the wage scale) is frustrating many theusands of women in their quest for equal pay. Their hounds hate “been tind br th: restrictive ‘ne strike" clones in the MWA. Signs are, with the strike of the witen tCelepionlets, that a contral pert of the fight back against the M4 could cam fram women = Ci The wasker sections of the workers, those io the traditional industries ronming into a decline, have beeo struggling for the past ceo yoaTs Taw ta win the iocreases of the Last two wage roundst In many of these cases the enplovers have clalne ed inability to pay, and during the workers! flght=-back agaioet thas attempts havo actually been mde to cut wages. Examples in Dublin ara to be found in the Hickey's strike {mainly young wamen workers) and at fiilied Textiles, These types of strikes are osusally official) receiydog support fron the trade wilons out st a very low kev mainly because of the implications they suggest. Wille these workers will mot be in the front ranks with the heavy battqallions, Like the building workers who have threatened. to strike: over an anomaly clain half-paid to then, their small-scale struggles generate a frustration anong workers in veneral, with the attacks. be ing made on their Jirine. standards. THE TASE OF SOCTALTAaTS 4regl challenge is pow Posed ta gacjalist militants.in the trade unhetea, tye the activity of these layers of wtirkere. Their co-ordination ar gineralisation is af vital impartative If che fight-beck is. tt take off gt sli, The Heed for a united battle on «a class—-strugele bas de within the unions is clagrly posed. Workers are seeking wisewere to The Majer prablems of the day, ta uordr plomnent, redundancies, and wegefreczea. We hare ao opportunity ta Provide gem at those anaueoy. Oar af the firet steps we gould tale ig ta call far fall-scale support far the equal-pay atrake af the talephonists. We stiast orgatise 2 tare demonstration in support of their strisz.

Oh a tire long-term bugis, thr need for 4 poblic service alliance ie sharply posed, to begin to co-ardinate: and direct the frustoatigos of Large numbers of these workers agadost the goveroect HoH THAI UNION CAUCUS

Gritain, hea amount of momen ta be aliocabed (61,500 million) i on Only LUG un on Lest yeaa allocation. Thies qed bo 2 : their wae held dew bok in gesing tha Iaaleh, edoosthim and welfare benefite of thenealves ae This come from a resolution of the Belfast Socialist Wamen's Group to a recent left conference on anti-imperlalist unity. It arqued that the most Concrete expreselon of the Jefe's suppart for witten's struggies. would be ta begin now ta discriminate in fuvour of women participgting fully in political activ ity. This mans women chairing their ow Meetings, lavinw creche facilities at conferences sd taklog up the probdens of child-care, damatic camitments dite It mats realising the iuportance of women ayercomina their lack of confidence and political «x= pecieoce. fut words will not achieve this, Wee On Mast Organise mow, inside laft graupa, igide the anti-inperielist sovement and inside Local aress. Local wonon's Ereupe inveuch ardas are beginning to appear these can play 4 real role in taking up these questions, These aeenmingly mandate questions can 4nd must lead to thallenging tur positan equal role in every apbere of Lite in the socialist goctety the anti—inperislist forces are fighting for, their families eedecsd, A steberent From the GT. in mulher be the ire freer me Le eee to talth aide of things, The steterest said that the etre £34 2 qian to boas a un) “matinee? the ecietine bevel of gervdcee". This is a Cremer Lia, Tt actually will became of manly momting ooh of medicines eqainment str. Neale fa ih Sey ee the moet inportant of the socks services workere new jwi wel BE THe LE that wat the cme. c a OTHE DRAW Histery has Shown that women play leading reles-in reyalutianary movements = Russia, Spain — acd yet this does not gugrantes their Liberation, The left mist take the fignt against ths backward idess of the church and tao many Republicans are even agsingt the right of women te control thei: ow bedies. They must take the Light afaiost loy pay, lack af unienisation, the farcical Leaphales in the Equal Pay Agt and demant the right of women as well a5 men to work, in the fisht amminae mattionary opposition, The lack of tursery and socigl fecilitias in antiunionist areas, the lack of well-paid jobs for wien (Whe are the ones wha have co make emis geet) the lack of comtraception facilities, all these ar directly the result of imperialist doting t Las. ; Tt is met emuch to say thal the watents struggle showld wet be. subordinated te the tatiotal struggle - ve sust fight maw te Link them yp in practice, The issue OF wotten's oppressioo dust be raised where its effects aro meat presence = in the heart of the AntiUnierist artas, Thus we mst becla to bu ld an anti-ioperialist women's fiovenent in the 32 Counties that will represent the fighting women af Ire— land. aoe yet it is here that the cothecke WL) hit Harder. ‘Tradentad fealte has saffored more Sther area dee Ser ae ta to date STE -OOLOSIS coreclally sinoe mid 17h. The feet rectinen= ones lave Bean in hore aid helps to aletresed Eamilies, mifk and food al icneances (bo mothers, ursiey qranks Sn dercivmd children se well as optical « Th other worta, the Poowert seh jena of the comunity. ita the anne in) ache cation, Were apart Sra. JEailis, the worae apaa a foched ie revestlal The Cine debeg chet showle be rafenbeeed fe that this lo am qreaber samy clrmumbancen allo! a rato how slow, bo melniuiritton., Tickets, phamboal dehd lice bs.

TacSeed, Jet the ooskets of che very PiGh ba made Ninoy un, all took sides: troubled society. ary atrucele, then ta break it, Hf Pee FIOKA ERRYON S'WOMRERS FIGHT! is a neweeleet Bier mambers and supporters af the Movement for a Socialiat Republic. It covera-the major issues an which class stragele alaments within the trade uolan Tevemnt should te fighting. ‘Mot just describing strikes,it draws the lessons from particwlar struggles and provides valuable information to back up the intervention ef milic— ahts, cancrntrating on appertunities co build and mobilise tor class struggle initigtives.

If you would Like te receive TWORKERS FIGHT’ pogularly io Pehe post, Please cut out thig [| form and send it with £1 [more it you Lihe}) ta WoF. (Sub), cfo 3h (langwley Rd, Mohlin 4.

HAME ce pee aero ete eee ee Fenris ee Pee eee Tha Secretary, 4.5.8. 38 Clanawley Road, Dublin 5.

Pe =x = at i La Fl —= -F I _l :

WOMEN AS HARBDINGERS OF PEACE women bare traditLonally Played a Spee ial? rale while the men are out fighting. carcying on wHile iashands, fathars, 20s, Their pasitdon in the Farhby waa seen ag sacted - guaranteed dy church and state it was abows clags conflict. Waneo are the moral conscience: for their. men, zone astray ani there— fore for the whale of abclety.

Thus they have an Vinvalugble! role ta play in bringing peace to thig Thig is the unfortunate loric of THise teniers of the Republican ndyoeent wha szf that the .wotients question mist unit, The logic af the position that subordinates acy ingependent activity, ob ecenamc, social getivitigs te the domediate ceeds’ of the ni ietFar as long sa we wait, aod leave women ta remain igolated in the ham, react= lanary forces will attempt to detach wamen fren the class struggle aed use Which is where Myirrad and Detey cone

Two of the Risingts main sspects wil] be discussed in this article - i} The lessans to be learnt from an analysis of the avent itself and its underlying causes Ji} Ita relevance today for revolutionary socialists.

The attempted banning of the Proviaionol Sinn Fein commemoration Jn April 1974 wich waa still attended by a largely working class crew! Of over I4,000 shows that these are not simply academic issues, The question "who Fears To Speak Of Easter Wael! is more relevant today than it was last year,.e the Southern goverteptstroins ite every firve to sever ita tenutis an® embarrass dig links with it. The Goglition stopped efficially commemorating the erent in I9T4, om af its Leading ministers,Coner Cruise Grien, has declared hia opposition ta it,and now they are campaigning for another stab in the back te the Horthern minority: the abolition of Articles 2 and 4, For over 50 years the Southern boorgecisie bas claimed to support the aims of the men and women of L916 but te dieagree with the "violent methods" favoured by Reputlicang. We will-poe that this is mot a DIVISIONS IN THE WORKING Class dee of Pbly fledged Home Rule, an 4 linited franchise of 700,000, whereas Sinn Felb won 72 out of D5 seats in 1913 on a franchise of 2,000,000, To speak of the participants in the [9Ib Aiaing usurping «a democratic mandate therefare means giving credibility te so particularly shabbr form ef bourgewis democracy.

This however was not done by the most militant sections of the Trish working clase. The key ta understanding their continued suppart cand syapathy for Rag dhlicanismLies.dn understanding how, due to the extreme backwardness of the Irish ecanemy = in TM!0 ite national incéme wis Len whe rege Eritain'ls was f1,o44n. = 9 Labour” ~ aristocracy could be created, with the exceptidn df ‘the partially intustriplised NarthEast, which was capable of distilling reformiat politics inte the whole working class, as had happened in Eneland, Lenin explained the contrast in this way: "Larkin has. performed mirnationalists of Sinn Fein, Ther failed to see that concentrating On economic iasuss leaves the workers trapped in bourgeois ideolagy, «Ag Donin arguedi "....

Tto Fleod the Geomemic struggle itself a‘ political character’ we shall to develop the palLtical coosciousness of the workers (to the level of Socdal Tetitcratic - the contemporary tern for Revolutionary Marxist -political consciousness} bar lnaap= deg within the frenewerk of the gcomomic struggle for that fratework is too narrow! (What Is To Be Hong ?, Moscow TSF, p. tia), Ie ds the task of socialists not alone ta explgie to the yorkars that they are oppreszed but alsa to davelep their consciausness by agitating around all the aspects of that oppression. ‘01 the aspecFOU SHOOLO

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don af wemen in capitalise society, Ther Jaad to the question of women playing

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(fe we do pet undenetand this, aera aries underetand it very well. te