| UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch |
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| The Women's Self Organised Group The Women's Self Organised Group has not been meeting regularly and urgently needs more women to get involved and get the group back to its key role in the branch. We discuss issues of direct concern to women in the Branch, such as cuts in jobs and services, low pay, equal rights for part-time workers, how to make meetings more "member friendly" how to get more women directly involved in the Branch etc. We also discuss issues of wider concern such as the recent Liverpool Dockers Strike and the campaign by Women on the Waterfront, the recent cuts in benefits to lone parents and people with disabilities and so on. We are aiming through the meetings to support each other as women, to gain confidence to raise issues within the Branch, to campaign to improve things for women both within the branch, the Council and wider society and to support political struggles on issues which we believe are important. We welcome any women members who wishes to come and join us. If
your are interested in being on the mailing list, let us know (contact
Irene Stout, Equalities Officer, on 0131 558 7488 or email at branchoffice@unison-edinburgh.org.uk)
Songs of Struggle - Songs of Freedom, your chance to join a Socialist Choir for WomenA Socialist choir for women in Edinburgh is starting soon. Women workers, trade unionists, unemployed women, mothers, grannies - all women welcome. Come and sing your heart out and have fun!! Contact Eileen Penman 0131 556 1029
Seventy Years Ago..............On the 3 June 1928, after nearly a century of dedicated struggle and sacrifice, women in the UK were given the right to vote on the same terms as men. Only women over thirty were eligible to vote for the ten years prior to this, under the Representation of the People Act, passed in 1918. Scottish suffragettes were at the forefront of the struggle for the vote. Women in Scotland were fighting then, just as they are fighting today, for equality and an end to sexism and discrimination. These days women may not be force-fed in prison for the crime of campaigning against their oppression, as the suffragettes were, but they are having a hard time battling to ensure that the Scottish Parliament will be based on gender balance. How many times have you heard the argument MPs should be elected on merit? If that were the case then surely women would outnumber men in Parliament now. Parliament has been dominated by men for ever, many of whom would not be there if getting elected was decided on merit. Lord Irving of Lairg, the Lord Chancellor (what does that mean,
any way?) has been given massive powers by his pal Tony Blair who,
by the way, did his legal training in Irvine's chambers. This
Lord's not even elected (how's that for merit) and he
has the nerve to block plans to ensure as many women as men are
elected to the new Scottish Parliament. The suffragettes must be
birlin' in their graves. Here we are at the turning of the
20th century and women are still at the mercy of powerful men to
have what should be ours by right. I say women need to tell all
remaining dinosaurs to "get stuffed" and take what is
rightfully ours - a big helping of power! (Eileen Penman)
MAY DAY - REMEMBER THE HAYMARKET MARTYRSMay Day is a fading shadow of what it once was. The roots of May Day seem to be forgotten. It has long been forgotten why workers chose 1st May to be a holiday and marched. In 1886 in Chicago, USA the movement for an 8 hour day was grown. On 1 May, the American Federation of Labour called for nationwide strikes wherever the 8-hour day was refused. On 1 May 1886 350,000 American workers in 11,562 workplaces went on strike. The biggest strikes being in Chicago - 45,000 workers withdrew their labour. Every railroad in Chicago stopped, most of the industries in Chicago were paralysed. The stockyards were closed. By 4 May the strike had spread throughout Chicago. A meeting was called at Haymarket Square, 3000 people assembled. The crowd was quiet and the weather was stormy. The crowd dwindled to a few hundred. Police asked the crowd to disperse when a bomb exploded. 66 policemen were wounded of whom 7 died later. The police fired into the crowd killing several people, wounding 200. 8 trade union leaders were arrested and charged with incitement
to murder. None had been at Haymarket except one who was addressing
the crowd. The evidence against them was their ideas and their literature.
Meetings took place in France, Holland, Russia, Italy and Spain. In London a meeting organised by William Morris and George Bernard Shaw demanded an appeal. A year later 4 were executed, Albert Parsons - a printer; August Spiers - an upholsterer; Adolph Fischer and George Engel were hanged. Louis Lingg a 21-year-old carpenter killed himself. Three remained in prison. It has never been discovered who did throw the bomb, however, it is generally considered that it was thrown by an agent provocateur, hired to throw the bomb in order to arrest hundreds and destroy the revolutionary leadership. 1st May was chosen to remember the Haymarket martyrs and the workers murdered for their beliefs. For decades the trade union movement celebrated May Day, even being arrested for doing so. Today, when trade unions are tied by anti-trade union legislation, unemployed are forced to work for benefits. An eight hour day and a decent minimum wage is still a dream for many. The Labour and trade union movement have denied May Day, denying their roots. However, trade unionists and socialists amongst us still celebrate the traditions of May Day and remember the Haymarket Martyrs and the workers who died on 4th May 1886 at Haymarket Square, Chicago.
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