Women’s liberation

INTRODUCTION/CONTEXT

• The opening address stressed the importance of women workers organising in a male-dominated industry and the context of women's struggles in a time of austerity and terrorism.
• There was a minute’s silence for the victims of terror attacks.
• ATU (Romanian union federation) President expressed his support for women's representation in trade unions, describing this as a hard-fought battle that was yet to be fully won.
• Summary of ETF Women’s work over last few years: training, campaigns, organising women transport workers.

What is working life like for women (and men) on the Bucharest Metro? How does it compare to our situation on London Underground? In Bucharest with the ETF Women's Committee, I spoke with Metro workers and gathered some facts …

WHAT IS THE ETF?

The European Transport Workers’ Federation, linking transport trade unions across Europe. RMT is one of several UK affiliates.

Its Women’s Committee includes nominees from various countries and sectors. I am a member of the Committee for the term 2013-2017.

PRIORITY CAMPAIGN 1 – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN TRANSPORT WORKERS

Reclaim its real name
It is International
Working Women's Day

Let’s celebrate with
Words of wit and wisdom from
Inspiring women

"Freedom is always
The freedom of dissenters"
Rosa Luxemburg

"I had crossed the line
I was free but a stranger"
Harriet Tubman

Not all suffragettes
Followed the same politics
Even the Pankhursts

Notes from the introduction to a workshop on 'What do we mean by socialist feminism?' at Workers' Liberty Women's 'All The Rage' event on 28 February 2015.

1. Key ideas:

The house is getting dirty, she can't face it
The vacuum cleaner's burnt out, lying dead
She knows she'll have to save up to replace it
She wants a life of roses not just bread
And sucking up the dust from crusty carpets
Is never going to give her quite the pleasure
Of thumbing dusty pages at the markets
To clear the cranial cobwebs finding treasure

The final part of my report from the European Transport Workers' Federation's Women's Committee meeting held in Berlin on 12-13 October 2015.

Mid-term women's conference.

First part of a three-part report from the meeting of the Europen Transport Workers' Federation's Women's Committee in Berlin, 12-13 October 2015.

Women's health and safety at work

It wasn't like this 
When they first shared a kiss
Her heart aches it.
He tells her she's weak
She's a failure, a freak
- And she takes it.

He tells her to say
That all is ok 
So she fakes it.
He shouts in her face
So that she knows her place
- And she takes it.

Originally published on Workers' Liberty's website.

There was a discussion at Workers' Liberty's 'Ideas for Freedom' discussion weekend in 2006 about 'The Left and Cultural Relativism'. The two speakers were Janine Booth and Peter Tatchell. These are the notes from Janine's contribution.