Louise Nousratpour
Sunday March 13, 2011
The Morning Star
Leading communist women gathered in London this weekend to celebrate International Women's Day as an important day for the working class to assess the achievements of the past year and prepare for challenges ahead.
An international panel of women representing several countries' Communist Parties brought greetings to a packed meeting at Marx Memorial Library on Saturday.
Their tales of struggle against gender-specific discrimination and violence were remarkably similar and their enemies the same - imperialism and neoliberal policies.
But a positive tone was struck by new Cuban ambassador Esther Armenteros, who told the audience that she was proof that gender and race equality could be achieved in a socialist system.
"I was born into a very poor black family living in a society where discrimination was rife and opportunities scarce," she explained.
"I was 12 when the revolution swept Cuba and it changed everything. Suddenly all possibilities were open to people like me. Today, there is equal pay and equal rights in our country. In some areas we have excelled compared to men to a point that the government has had to put quotas in in favour of men."
Ms Armenteros condemned the decades-long US economic blockade on Cuba, adding: "Can you imagine how much better women's situations could have been?"
Chairing the event Communist Party of Britain women's organiser Liz Payne highlighted the significant achievements women have made in capitalist countries.
But she dismissed claims by sections of the bourgeoisie that women should now hang up their marching boots.
"Recent reports from the UN and Unicef show that women's lives everywhere are still alarmingly bleak - they suffer violence and face economic and social discrimination," Ms Payne said.
Representatives from Sudan, Iraq and Iran all condemned their country's Islamic laws restricting women's rights.
Azar Sepehr of the Democratic Organisation of Iranian Women said: "Discrimination against women is enshrined in law in Iran."
Iraqi Women's League speaker Nora Mohammed Ali warned that the puppet regime in her country had pushed women's rights back decades by introducing regressive marriage and other anti-women laws.
"Girls as young as seven are forced to wear the hijab, though the government denies this is happening," Ms Mohammed Ali said.
Amal Gabrala of Communist Party of Sudan called for the women's struggle to be linked to the wider working class struggle: "Let us remember Rosa Luxemburg and the likes of her, whose memory and work continue to inspire us."
Representatives from the Bangladeshi and Indian communist parties also took part.
Coalition's NHS attack 'worse than Thatcher'
Louise Nousratpour in Eastbourne
Friday March 11, 2011
The Morning Star
Women trade unionists warned that the Con-Dems are planning an assault on the NHS worse than anything tried by Margaret Thatcher.
Delegates at the TUC women's conference in Eastbourne said the coalition's planned "reforms" would put lives at risk and turn the health service into nothing more than a corporate logo slapped on a privately run system.
"Even Margaret Thatcher didn't dare do to the NHS what this government is trying to do," Chartered Society of Physiotherapists speaker Kim Gainsborough said.
Conference heard that the Health and Social Care Bill, estimated to slash £3 billion on top of the existing £20bn "efficiency" savings, represented yet more Con-Dem cuts that will hurt women and children most.
Most of the 50,000 job losses forecast at the NHS will be women.
Pregnant women, new mothers and their babies are particularly vulnerable to the reorganisation, which is already causing cuts to maternity and family planning services, midwives and health visitors
Moving a motion on the NHS, Ms Gainsborough said: "Lack of safe maternity care in developing countries is one of the cause of high infant mortality rates. We can't let that happen here."
She warned that the proposals would create "unacceptable postcode lottery services.
"Promoting competition runs through the pages of the Bill, with private companies including US health profiteers poised to take over our NHS."
Ms Gainsborough said there was still time to influence the Bill as union-backed MPs were tabling amendments to mitigate some of the worst aspects of the legislation.
"Pressure your local MP to sign up to these amendments and support my union's day of action on April 1 coinciding with the Bill's return to the Commons," she added.
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: "Clegg and Cameron have unleashed a wrecking ball to the founding ethos of the NHS and want to reduce the logo to a corporate one like Nike."
Usdaw delegate Pat Buttle called on delegates to "knock on every door and take the message out there. These bastards are ruining our NHS and we won't have it."
On the final day of conference today, chairwoman Lesley Mercer informed delegates that a maternity unit down the road from the venue was facing closure for the second time in four years.
Friday March 11, 2011
The Morning Star
Women trade unionists warned that the Con-Dems are planning an assault on the NHS worse than anything tried by Margaret Thatcher.
Delegates at the TUC women's conference in Eastbourne said the coalition's planned "reforms" would put lives at risk and turn the health service into nothing more than a corporate logo slapped on a privately run system.
"Even Margaret Thatcher didn't dare do to the NHS what this government is trying to do," Chartered Society of Physiotherapists speaker Kim Gainsborough said.
Conference heard that the Health and Social Care Bill, estimated to slash £3 billion on top of the existing £20bn "efficiency" savings, represented yet more Con-Dem cuts that will hurt women and children most.
Most of the 50,000 job losses forecast at the NHS will be women.
Pregnant women, new mothers and their babies are particularly vulnerable to the reorganisation, which is already causing cuts to maternity and family planning services, midwives and health visitors
Moving a motion on the NHS, Ms Gainsborough said: "Lack of safe maternity care in developing countries is one of the cause of high infant mortality rates. We can't let that happen here."
She warned that the proposals would create "unacceptable postcode lottery services.
"Promoting competition runs through the pages of the Bill, with private companies including US health profiteers poised to take over our NHS."
Ms Gainsborough said there was still time to influence the Bill as union-backed MPs were tabling amendments to mitigate some of the worst aspects of the legislation.
"Pressure your local MP to sign up to these amendments and support my union's day of action on April 1 coinciding with the Bill's return to the Commons," she added.
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: "Clegg and Cameron have unleashed a wrecking ball to the founding ethos of the NHS and want to reduce the logo to a corporate one like Nike."
Usdaw delegate Pat Buttle called on delegates to "knock on every door and take the message out there. These bastards are ruining our NHS and we won't have it."
On the final day of conference today, chairwoman Lesley Mercer informed delegates that a maternity unit down the road from the venue was facing closure for the second time in four years.
Delegates: 'Go out like Wisconsin'
Louise Nousratpour in Eastbourne
Thursday March 10, 2011
The Morning Star
Women trade unionists vowed today to go out "Wisconsin style" in defence of public-sector pensions after Lord Hutton spelled out government plans to raid them.
As the major unions were considering co-ordinated strike action, speakers at TUC women's conference declared themselves ready to fight plans to make teachers, nurses, firefighters and local government workers pay more and work longer for a smaller pension.
Most public-sector workers are women and they already face smaller pensions and unequal pay.
The Usdaw union reported that nearly a million women would have their state pension delayed by more than a year because of the rise in the retirement age, costing them between £5,000 and £9,700.
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy delegate Kate Moran said: "Two-thirds of pensioners living in poverty are women and Lord Hutton's proposals will mean some women losing up to £15,000 of their income."
Conference heard that, far from being "gold plated," average local government and NHS pensions were just £4,000 a year - falling to £2,600 for women.
UCU speaker Jennifer Dods reported that her union was fighting back against the attacks on pension with a series of rolling strikes, starting next week in Scotland and Wales, followed by strikes in Northern Ireland and England the following week.
She also urged support for the union's day of action on March 24.
And the NUT's Sally Kincaid called on Britain's trade union movement to "take a leaf" out of the struggles in Wisconsin and Egypt.
"We all agree that we should be on the TUC March 26 demonstration but we must also organise for March 27 and beyond.
"Call it general strike, call it co-ordinated action, but let us do something to show the government that we in the public and private sector will take no more.
"Let us go out Egyptian style, Wisconsin style," she said to cheers.
Addressing a fringe meeting on Wednesday night, NUT general secretary Christine Blower described the increase in pension contributions and the switch from the RPI inflation index to CPI is "straightforward theft."
PCS national officer Chris Cuthbert added: "Co-ordinated action is now a matter of priority. If we don't stand together, we will be defeated."
Thursday March 10, 2011
The Morning Star
Women trade unionists vowed today to go out "Wisconsin style" in defence of public-sector pensions after Lord Hutton spelled out government plans to raid them.
As the major unions were considering co-ordinated strike action, speakers at TUC women's conference declared themselves ready to fight plans to make teachers, nurses, firefighters and local government workers pay more and work longer for a smaller pension.
Most public-sector workers are women and they already face smaller pensions and unequal pay.
The Usdaw union reported that nearly a million women would have their state pension delayed by more than a year because of the rise in the retirement age, costing them between £5,000 and £9,700.
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy delegate Kate Moran said: "Two-thirds of pensioners living in poverty are women and Lord Hutton's proposals will mean some women losing up to £15,000 of their income."
Conference heard that, far from being "gold plated," average local government and NHS pensions were just £4,000 a year - falling to £2,600 for women.
UCU speaker Jennifer Dods reported that her union was fighting back against the attacks on pension with a series of rolling strikes, starting next week in Scotland and Wales, followed by strikes in Northern Ireland and England the following week.
She also urged support for the union's day of action on March 24.
And the NUT's Sally Kincaid called on Britain's trade union movement to "take a leaf" out of the struggles in Wisconsin and Egypt.
"We all agree that we should be on the TUC March 26 demonstration but we must also organise for March 27 and beyond.
"Call it general strike, call it co-ordinated action, but let us do something to show the government that we in the public and private sector will take no more.
"Let us go out Egyptian style, Wisconsin style," she said to cheers.
Addressing a fringe meeting on Wednesday night, NUT general secretary Christine Blower described the increase in pension contributions and the switch from the RPI inflation index to CPI is "straightforward theft."
PCS national officer Chris Cuthbert added: "Co-ordinated action is now a matter of priority. If we don't stand together, we will be defeated."
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