National Child Care Campaign launched

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The Conference on 5 July called by the London Nursery Campaign to discuss and form a National Child Care Campaign was in deep contrast to the reçent Conference held on 21 June (see SP 204).

There was a more positive and constructive approach at the conference and in the workshops.

The conference began with speakers from already existing national bodies like NAC, National Women's Aid Federation and NCCL on how they work nationally.

New body.

What was clear after some discussion was that the new national body if formed should orientate towards the trade union and labour movement but that the union bureaucracy should not be allowed to eat up or be in control of the Campaign.

Workshop sessions followed, where recommendations and policy to be considered by the Steering Committee were discussed besides hearing some brief but horrific reports from areas where cuts in facilities were about to be or had been made.

The discussion in the workshops and break periods of struggle on the cuts in provision proved useful, and what came across was that despite lack of coordination or political direction, women were fighting back and fighting back hard.

What also emerged were examples of those fighting on Under S provision leading the struggle on the cuts in their areas and realising very quickly the necessity to form or even initiate links and organisations bringing together all those fighting the cuts.

Such new bodies have begun to discuss seriously questions of policy such as opposition to all public spending cuts, and opposing rent and rate increases as an "alternative" to cuts.

Confrontation

These policies bring about a confrontation with the union and labour movement bureaucracy and especially the fake 'lefts' who declare themselves against cuts but who not only impose hardship on the working class by raising rates and rents but also lose support by doing so.

The Islington Campaign had been successful from carly on in linking up the voluntary sector (playgroups) etc) with the state provided . sector (nurseries) which were both under threat.

They had nearly succeeded in unionising the playgroup workers in NUPE when the Pre Playgroup Association stepped in to stop this. There followed a delay when . an inter union dispute arose over who should organise voluntary workersNUPE or TGWU (ACTSS).

• Demoralised This resulted in demoralisation and a failure to organise this section which could have strengthened the links with workers in the state funded sector.

What emerged in the workshops was the reactionary role of the leadership in the unions, who use and direct campaigns for their own ends to stop action from getting off the ground.

One example of this was in Nottingham, where the NUPE Ealing parents fight for nurseries CUR KIDS official, not content with the hold he already seems to have on the Campaign, now wants to remain a sleeping committee member' whose function is to vet all leaflets and publicity from the campaign!

For any campaign intent on fighting the cuts and putting pressure on the unions for action alongside, parents confrontation with the union leadership is inevitable.

One of the main discussions was on the orientation towards campaigns by union branches for workplace nurseries.

The Defending Provision Workshop stressed the dangers of the way in which at present the union leadership is intent on using workplace nursery campaigns to divert away from the fight to defend and expand existing provision.

SERTUC

The recently held SERTUC conference on workplace nurseries in January bore this out completely.

Socialist Press and Women's Voice supporters were the most WANT vocal in spelling out the main reasons against a campaign centred mainly on workplace nurseries-pointing to the employers making. women redundant and the government's intention to use the axing of facilities like nurseries and hospitals to drive women back to their traditional role in the home.

Unemployment

Female unemployment has risen in the last four years by over 62%, and in some instances where workplace nurseries have existed employers have closed them down in order to remove female staff easily.

Yet the recent example of the management at the Chix factory providing a nursery to encourage female scabs where the workforce were on strike is a clear example of how managements will provide a nursery when they need a large female workforce.

At the SERTUC conference there were scandalous references to the actual buildings of closed state nurseries being offered by NUPE leader Fisher-no lead local authorities for college creches!

It emerged that the students union at Brighton Polytechnic has to vote every year for their nursery to continue-raising the danger that the provision could be lost one year if there is a right wing majority.

The debate on workplace nurseries was useful and resulted in a recommendation to the steering committee that whilst supporting those campaigning main corkpace on the National I0I workolact nurseries.

Childcare Campaign should be that the government have a statutory obligation to provide comprehensive and integrated child care facilities and facilities for the over 5's, and must be forced to take responsibility for all such provision.

NUPE give no lead in unionisation, despite its "Charter for the Under 5s" and it was reported that workers at one Nursery Centre (which combines both care and education) had had to ask to become members and have their own branch.

The London Nursery Campaign have pressed the South East Region of the TUC to hold a Conference for Under 5's workers.

Mass campaign

The plenary session for the last hour of the conference saw the setting up of the National Child Care Campaign (NCCC) and the motion submitted by the London Nursery Campaign stated clearly that its overall aim was to build a mass national campaign around the demands for comprehensive flexible, free child care facilities provided by the state.

Discussion then took place on the structure and the forming of a steering committee.

Twenty-seven were nominated to serve and although at present this is overbalanced by campaigners in London this will be subject to review. The steering committee will meet every six weeks and it is intended to hold the next conference early in January 1981, where further policies will be decided. A special Socialist Press repı ort There then followed brief reports and policy recommendations from the workshops for the steering committee to consider.

The main immediate recommendations to emerge from the report-backs was a press release, a lobby of the TUC and Labour Party conferences and an appeal for trade unions and Labour Party constituencies to affiliate.

It was also suggested that the campaign should call on regional TUC's to implement the TUC Under S's report-a booklet which the TUC have allowed to fall out of print and are trying to bury.

Trades Councils are to be encouraged to form women's sub-committees where they do not exist at present.

One of the most tangible contributions to the conference was the draft booklet written between Oxford, Nottingham, Leicester and Wandsworth campaigners (agreed at May's Nurseries Action Conference in Nottingham).

This brings together their combined experiences of two occupations and two hurriedly formed campaigns and the lessons learnt from them as a guide for those about to set up campaigns or to broaden them out.

It was a recommendation of the Defending Provision Workshop that the Steering Committee produce the draft version along with amendments and omissions before the next conference.

The setting up of the National Child Care Campaign is a new step forward for local campaigns fighting in isolation.

It could mean the start of an effective and aggressive campaign that will link local campaigns on a regional as well as national basis.

Any individuals or local groups that wish to affiliate to the Campaign should write to NCCC, c/o Surrey Docks Child Care Project, Dockland Settlement, Redriff Road, London SE16. Affiliation fees: Individuals, £2.50; local groups, £5.00.

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