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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 6. April 4 1977

Women protest Prices

page 3

Women protest Prices

From April 26 to May 3, the Working Women's Alliance is holding a National Week of Activities against Rising Prices. The aim of the week is to focus the public's attention on the effects that rising prices are having on the living standards of NZ working people and to look at both short term and long term solutions to the problem. By rising prices, we not only mean those of food price increases, but those of clothing, housing, rents, electricity, cars and spare parts, and almost anything you like to name.

"The little one figures out wages the big one is for deductional"

"The little one figures out wages the big one is for [unclear: deductional]"

We believe that it is high time the public are informed as to the real reasons for price increases. The Government and the employers constantly argue that wage rises force employers to raise their prices. According to them, if we stopped what they claim to be "excessive" wage demands, then prices would be stable. This is nonsense, as there are many causes of price increases that have nothing to do with wages.

It is these facts which we intend to publicise and discuss over the week. The sort of activities that we envisage taking place during the week public meetings; house meetings; displays and leafletting in shopping malls, community centres and factories; talks to as many different groups as possible.

We have made approaches to organisations such as Carp, Pensioners Association Beneficiaries Associations, Trade Unions, Women's Groups and others asking them to participate during the week.

We strongly believe that rising prices are also having severe effects on students and we hope that they will also participate during the week both on and off campus.

This participation could involve one or all of the following:

Students Association could:
  • issue a press statement during the week on the difficulties students are facing with the increasing cost of living.
  • provide us with material for our special issue of Working Women to come out prior to the week.
  • hold lunchtime forums to discuss the implications of rising prices.
  • distribute posters and newspapers on campus and assist us with this distribution in other areas.
  • encourage people to attend public meetings and other activities to be held during the week.
  • do as much as possible to promote the week.

The success of the week does not depend on people organising huge activities, but on a whole lot of small things taking place throughout the week, in as many different areas as possible.

The Working Women's Alliance has been in existence for almost three years, and during that time we have been involved in many struggles and educational activities around the overall theme of the decline in living standards of NZ Working People.

We have organised many actions around specific aspects of this theme e.g. price rises employment of women, unemployment, child-care, housing and others, and we have also provided assistance to workers during various industrial disputes.

Our most regular activity is the bi-monthly publication of our newspaper," Working Women", which we distribute widely throughout the country.

We believe that before men and women are able to live a fulfilled, satisfying, existence without having to spend the whole of their lives working to make ends meet, there will have to be a change in the structures of society. The profit-oriented society in which we live must change for a society which benefits working people.

At the same time we must work specifically to improve the conditions of women, as a change in the economic system will not immediately mean that women's emancipation will be achieved. Through constant struggle we will ultimately have a society free from exploitation of any person. In working towards this aim, we must never forget that the only way in which this can be achieved is through unity.

For further information, write to Working Women's Alliance, Box 9012, Wellington, or phone, Sandra McCallum, 4702, Wainuiomata.

The VUWSA Publications Board has attacked the Executive for attempting to interfere in Salient.

On more than one occasion in the last few years members of the Executive have attempted to stop criticism from Salient by trying to gain the right to prevent anything printed. Fortunately, Salient's independence has been successfully defended.

The latest interference attempt came in the closed committee section of last week's Executive meeting when Sports Officer Peter Thrush, still smarting from front page criticism in Salient No 4, presented a motion allowing the Executive to read Salient's final proofs before they are sent to the printer. Ostensibly it was to check for libel (a job already done by Salient's legal reader), but the real reason seemed to be to halt criticism of the Executive through attempting to delay Salient's publication. The motion was passed with dissent from President Lindy Cassidy, Secretary Kevin Swann, and Publications' Officer Gerard Couper.

The Publications' Board, following the line adopted at the Association's Annual General Meeting, censured the Executive for its action and reaffirmed its belief in the necessity for the independence of Salient. The only person who voted against the censure motion was Association Treasurer Steve Underwood (also a member of Pubs Board), who said that he would "treat the motion with the contempt that it deserves". It is obvious which way he voted at the Executive!)

By SRC rep John Ryall

JUST TAKE YOUR TOTAL INCOME AND DOUBLE IT! WHAT IS YOUR FORMULA FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF LIVING...? Fred Wright, Union Cartoons