For Equal Pay

STRUGGLE The Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Bill is due to be enforcable from the end of 1975. In theory from that date on it will be illegal to pay different rates to men and women for the same job. In fact the principle of equal pay has been included in both the last 2 National Wage Agreements and an Equal Pay Commission was set up in November 1972.

So far there has been little progress towards this goal, many women especially in industry have not yet received the 17'4% of the difference allowed for in the previous National Wage Agreement, still less the 33 '/3% allowed for in this. The defeat of the women confectioners earlier in the year did nothing to increase the confidence of women workers in either the Equal Pay Commission or in their fellow, male trade unionists.

There have of course been victories, the women at Gallaghers and the implementation of the equal pay principle in parts of the public sector and semi-state concerns. But the majority of women workers in implications of this for the period ahead. In the first six months of this year over 400,000 man days were lost in industrial disputes. This nearly equalled the combined 412,000 man days lost in the previous two years combined.

The upsurge in the industrial struggle goes even deeper than this. Since the first National Wage Agreement (NWA) was introduced in 1971, strikes on the wages front have declined to 29%, 35% and 28% of total strikes for the subsequent three years. This compares with an average of 40% for the previous five years. Moreover, industry, which is Where most women are employed, ate still getting well below the male rate.

As we come up to the target date and inflation continues to bit hard at women’s earnings, it is likely that there will be more and more struggles round the question of equal pay.

This is already beginning to be apparent in several industries, e.g. the confectionery and bacon-curing industries, women have claims in for equal pay and women in ether fields are considering it.

But, if the moves towards equal pay are going to be anyway successful over the whole span of Irish industry, it is important that the struggle is co-ordinated throughout the Trade Union Movement.

First, it is essential that all workers see the fight for equal pay being in all workers interests. Women have too long been used as cheap labour to undermine the bargaining power and strength of the trade union movement. Workers who say that the struggle is divisive, should look to where the real divisive force is. There is a real need for active support for equal A new strike wave has erupted in the South which poses a threat to the 3rd National Wage Agreement. Below the Trade Union caucus of the R.M.G. examines the proportion of workers involved in strikes for higher wages was only 14%, 40% and 28% while for the previous five years the average figure was 64%. The new wave of strikes is clearly returning to the old pattern and a major struggle to increase wages is beginning.

This is shown by a very important feature of the present strike wave which is at numerous points it has challenged the very existence of the national wage restraints. Even the limited number of actions for to avoid paying equal rates.

workers in individual unions, Workers smash N.W.A. were victimised.

to recoup their loss of real wages. N.W.As. promise from the CIE management.

opposition to the March deal. broken.

excess of the N.W.A, signalled panic stations, \\ leSser significance.” pay struggles from male workers. Claims for equal pay should not be just up to the women themselves, often a weaker force inside the Trade Union movement, but part of wage deals fought for by all workers concerned in the industry.

It is important as well that there is joint fight against the management's attempts to impose extra productivity on women in return for equal rates or to make them work late shifts or forfeit maternity benefits. (All of these tactics have been used against women workers in England). Trade Unionists should also demand workers representation on any job evaluation committees, and the right of the Trade Union movement to determine work of equal value. Here again the management will attempt to grade jobs done by women as of less value in order The |.C.T.U. should also set up a central co-ordinating committee to instigate an equal pay campaign, and to draw together the struggles of women higher pay between 1971-1973 never attempted to go outside the limits of the agreements. However, at least three of the current rush of strikes since March have been against the terms of the 3rd N.W.A. itself.

The first of these was undertaken by a small group of workers in Sligo at the local Dental Mirror factory, was betrayed by the union ITGWU bureaucracy and quickly defeated. In the aftermath of the strike many of the militants involved But in more recent times the big battalions of the Labour movement have gone into action and they have succeeded in paving the way for a new phase of combativity which workers can use It was the bitter fight of several hundred Corporation workers which set the ball rolling. Their claim had been invalidated by the Employer-Labour Conference as far back as January. But the men began a long struggle of several weeks which culminated in them winning an extra £5 above that negotiated under the This was followed by two other new actions by the workers in Clondalkin Paper Mills and Guinnesses both of which were successful. In the meantime 1,500 engineers banned overtime in pursuit of.a claim which the Employer-Labour Conference judged to be in contravention of the 3rd N.W.A. The men continued their action for a further three weeks when they calla halt on the basis of a favourable Simultaneously with the CIE men’s action the clerical workers at Aer Lingus began a struggle for parity with airport maintenance men. Their case too was brought before the Employer-Labour Conference which naturally ruled that it was in On the-very same day the men ignored E-L.C. and went ahead with their strike action. Within a few hours Aer Lingus management was on its knees and the strikers got most of what they were asking for. The Employer-Labour Conference was once more discarded and the wage agreement In the meantime a whole series of claims were rushed through the breach created by the CIE and Aer Lingus workers. A number of these, like the teachers claim and the demand of the corporation planning staff for parity are also in Employers and Government get tough The government and employers have quickly The threshold clause of the N.W.A. which so far will give workers an additional 10% pay rise (minus tax) at the current rate of inflation is already too much for the employers. The realisation that three years of wage restraint is enough for most workers, has brought a call for decisive action from the government. In its August newsletter the Federated Union of Employers said: “What is r. quired is a determination by the government to face the fact that serious problems exist, that they wilJ not disappear automatically and that attention cannot be divided from them by the introduction of legislation concerning other labour matters of The government, which in a secret memorandum to prominent businessmen during the National Coalition’s election campaigne (published by ‘Hibernia’) stated its clear intention of defending their interests, responded to the FUE’s call, The-government introduced an inflationary budget to increase the value of stocks being held by employers so that workers would have to pay more than when they went on the market. It is currently seeking the introduction of the Green £ which will increase the value of stock being held by the ranchers with cts UNEMPLOYMENT ONE IN EVERY 13 potential Irish workers is at present unemployed. At the end of August no fewer than 68,000 workers were registered as urlemployed — the highest August figure for six The ‘Sunday Independent’ economics correspondent commented “The rising figure even underestimates the actual problem because the overall workforce has been reduced to some extent by the fact that free secondary education has kept at school many who would otherwise be looking for jobs.” (Sept. 8th).

UNEQUAL PAY LATEST STATISTICS SHOW that in September 1973 the average weekly earnings of a male industrial worker engaged in manufacture was £36.46p or 82.9p per hour. A female in the same category earned £18.69p or 49.4p an hour. The differential was therefore 60%.

TRADE UNION FINANCE ACCORDING TO THE Registry of Friendly Societies, the income for 53 trade unions from their members in 1972 was £2,245 ,940. Of that sume only £191,212 was expended on disputes pay i.e. 8%. By contrast £1,593,441 was spent on management expenses i.e. 70%.

PAYING FOR IMPERIALIST EXPANSION THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S latest figures show that 731 new industries were established by foreign concerns between 1960 and 1972. These industries accourtted for 64,600 new jobs. More than a quarter (i.e. over £70m) of the capital employed: (278.m ) was advanced by the 1.D.A.

COMPANY PROFITS LAST YEAR COMPANY PROFITS rose by 44.2% before tax and 50.8% after tax. This was a percentage increase of 42% and 46.3% respectively over the previous years. The effects on profits of restraining wages under the national wage agreements can be seen from the annual average trend of profit figures.

1968p 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 +7.2% +32.5% +11.7% -10.0% +25.8% +50.8% EXCESS NOISE apr THE INDUSTRIAL INSPECTORATE in 1972 completed a survey of noise levels in 908 industrial premises in which about 94,000 workers were engaged. It found that 5,200 (i.e. 5.5%) of these workers were exposed to excessive noise levels.

If this figure can be taken as an average applicable to all of manufacturing industry then the health of over 11,00u workers is at risk. No legislation has yet been passed to Protect these workers. the same consequence for workers. The Minister for Finance Mr. Ryan now announces (Sept. 6th) that he will retrieve the money lost by the employers to the workers in their fight against cuts that these measures are making in their wages. He threatens to increase income taxation and back this up with a legal incomes policy to stop further wage increases. Fight back now!

The aims of the FUE and the government to tie workers hand behind their back while inflation strikes one blow after another at their living standards, demand a serious answer from the labour movement. The success that the employers and politicians have had in swindling workers under the wage agreements has made them too confident. They must be shown that they can’t act with impunity.

But what are the trade union leaders doing about this? They are trying to hoodwink the rank and file. It is hypocritical of them to back the claims of the CIE and Aer Lingus workers on the one hand and on the other to sit on the Employer-Labour Conference which rules these claims invalid! No genuine leadership can be expected from these fakers.

This means that a heavy burden of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the Shop Steward and Rank and File Committees. At the present time it alone is capeble of rallying the mass of workers opposed to the NWA’s. While it is still not strong enough to call or lead direct actions against the bureaucracy and employers, this does not mean that it should confine itself to propaganda. Such a course will only lead to isolation and decline But a militant campaign against prices is possible. This could be initiated in conjunction with local consumer protection groups in working class areas. Such a campaign could use various tactics such as public meetings in shopping centres, mass leafleting, pickets and sit-ins.etc, to highlight the problem of rising prices and the need for workers action to stop it. This type of campaign would be an important spring-board for the political fight that: must be waged next March against the combined forces of the government, emplovers and trade union collaborators.

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THREATENS 3RD ‘nwa’ for the three years of the NWA’s the —

STRIKE \53