International womens day.

Today 80% of factory workers are women. The great new working classes of China and the former colonial countries are increasingly made up of women. This is a major step forward for the working class. As these women workers enter the paid workforce this strengthens the working class. And women themselves become more confident and strong as they get their own paid job. As a woman told me here in Chicago, she had recently moved here from Latin America: "I earn my own money now. I do not have to take s... from any man." This strengthens the working class movement.

Male workers must see the strengthening of women in this way, not see it as a threat. The bosses will try and use women workers as cheap labor to undermine male workers' wages. Male workers must help female workers unionize into the same unions at the same rate of pay and benefits so the divide and rule strategy and cheap labor policies of the bosses can be defeated. Male workers have to make sure and take up the so-called women's issues. Child care in every workplace and community, free health care for all and available at work. Part of this struggle for male workers is to confront and defeat sexism which has been so drummed into us throughout our lives. Women workers and students are leading struggles everywhere.

Happy International Women's Day.

Sean