The Greater London Association of Trades Union Councils are calling on women to reclaim International Women’s Day in London on Saturday 12th March.
International Women’s Day began as a socialist political event to promote equal rights, women’s wages and suffrage for all women. It was founded to commemorate a strike of textile workers. IWD has its’ origins firmly rooted in the Trade Union Movement. It is therefore frustrating to see a dearth of this heritage when attending events on International Women’s Day in London.
Christine Lagarde head of the bosses’ International Monetary Fund IMF spoke on a Women of the World platform in 2015. Its’ President is The Duchess of Cornwall. These women represent the 1% of the super- rich and not the 99% of women who live and work in our communities. Women like Hilary Kemp writing about the impact of the removal of Tax Credits, “I am a single mother and work fulltime and receive £21,000. I have calculated I will be £2,000 worse off. I was working for a company for 7 years, they made me redundant in order to use cheap labour in India. I have got into debt because of expensive child care. The stress of robbing Peter to pay Paul for the last 15 years has taken a terrible toll on my health and now it is going to be even worse.”
The Greater London Association of Trades Union Councils are calling on women to reclaim International Women’s Day in London on Saturday 12th March.
The TUC report The Impact on Women of the Recession and Austerity 2015, shows a lack of high quality well paid jobs for women, who are often to be found working in insecure and low paid employment. Welfare reforms and cuts to local services have had a disproportionate impact upon women. At our first organising meeting the impact of austerity on union members was a clear unifying theme, we will therefore be joining the many groups in London opposing austerity by organising an anti-austerity event.
On a more positive note women representation in the trade unions remains strong. Women now make up half of the trade union members. However, women are still underrepresented in many trade union positions and are often absent from our Trades Union Councils. An event initiated by trade union members, living and working in London will revitalise our Trades Union Councils and encourage participation in our Unions.
You can help make this a successful event on March 12th 2016 by circulating this invitation and joining us on International Women’s Day. Let us know if you will be supporting Reclaim International Women’s Day.
Yours fraternally
Susan Aitouaziz
Women’s Officer GLATUC & NUT Member
s.aitouaziz@hotmail.co.uk
Camden Trades Council 