HERE are 500,000 working women in Quebec — half whom are married — and we know almost nothing about them, Jean Marchand, president of the Confederation of, National Trade Unions, recently told a discussion organized by union education .committee. ‘The meeting was held so that working women could make known their working conditions and outline what assistance they. expected from the state and the unions. Their first wish was for re- cognition of the equal-work, equal-pay principle. The debate on this revealed once again to CNTU leaders that this prin- ciple is far from adhered to, particularly in the textile in- dustry where women are hired to keep salaries low. - The second point was the need of social-security measures _ adapted to women — maternity leave, part-time employment, proh bition of night work, the setting up of nurseries either by the provincial government, mu- nic palities or employers when the number of working mothers warrants it, and more school canteens. These needs can only be ob- tained, however, if the govern- ment is. fully informed on the actual conditions of working women. _ Jean Marchand promised that in its next brief to the govern- ment the CNTU would demand’ a full inquiry into the working conditions of women in Quebec. Needed: 1/4 million jobs by 197% ANADA needs 114 million additional jobs by 1970 if gainful employment for most of our-adult population is to keep pace with population growth. This is the opinion of . the Economic Council of Can- ada. ~ The finding of these addi- tional jobs must receive the. earnest attention of the labor movement. The alternative is mass, chronic unemployment. This is no idle statement. For in the conditions of, capitalist production the introduction of automation is always accom- panied by its shadow —. the threat of mass unemployment. Recent figures of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics emphasize the problem. The gross national product rose by 8.9 percent dur- ing 1964, bringing the value of goods and services produced during the year to better than $47 billion. This was the high- © est peak since 1956. Corporation profits rose by 15 percent. Prices increased by 1.5 percent, with non-durable goods like clothing rising by 3 per- cent. the. WOMEN AT WORK Equal pay for equal work, social secu- rity adapted to sex, nurseries and school canteens — these needs of working women are examined by Sol- ange Chalvin in the CNT's Le Travail. The article is reprinted here, slightly abridged. There are two million work- ing women in Caiada, whether we like it or not, said Marchand. “Should women stop working suddenly, they would create the greatest’ economic crisis we have ever known.” Why do women work before and after marriage and even after the family is grown up? “T had no choice,’ says Mrs. Mariette Latendresse, mother of three (16, 18 and 20 years old). She is a social worker who re- sumed full-time work when her youngest child was 12. “Either my 16-year-old son or myself had to go to work.” Nor was it a fancy that sent Mrs. Therese Gagnon back to work. At the death of her hus- band she found herself in charge of a family of six, from 2 to 11 years of age. Mrs. Gagnon described the difficult conditions facing widows left with. definitely in- adequate allowances from fam- ily and welfare departments. A family of seven gets a mean liv- ing allowance of. $39 a week; the allowance for a child from five to 12 is $5 a month, while the ridiculous amount of $2.50 a month is granted for a baby up to 5 years old. These figures roused indigna- tion among the women at the meeting. In Mrs. Gagnon’s- view, the problem of widows, whether they work or not, will not be Solved as long as there is no specific department for them in the family and welfare agencies. In addition to financial assist- ance, women who are heads of families need legal advice, as- sistance from social workers and organized services such as nurseries and school canteens. They cannot generally afford help on their meagre salaries. It seems that if the work of a woman is to be successful the husband must agree to it and encourage her, says Mrs. Laten- dresse. The difficulty is that in Quebec each woman has to manage alone, or with the help of her family or in-laws to sec- ure a nursery for her children when: they come from school or at. noon, _If there were services as in several European countriés the task of working women would be much easier. The share of national income: going to labor increased by 9 percent, reflecting thé rise in numbers of the work force (ac- cording to reliable labor sourc- es average worker earning in 1964 rose by 3.9 percent, in- cluding fringe benefits). Despite this record : year of production and the _ bouyant economy, unemployment at the year’s end stood at 408,000 which amounted to 6 percent of the labor force. Adding to the seriousness of the problem is the fact that the labor force is growing - faster than the population and this trend is seen as continuing by the Economic Council. - Gordon’s Minister White Paper: presented in Par- * liament April 12 bears out. this Finance estimate. The White Paper points out that the number of young adults in the population is growing rapidly. The number of persons in the 20-24 year age group will grow by 31 percent. in the next five years compared with.a growth of 18 percent in the past five. The number in the 25-29 group will increase by 22 percent com- pared with a. decline of 2 per- cent in the past period. The to- tal population is expected to reach 22 million by 1970. Actually the problem of find- ing 144 million additional jobs It is not true, says this social worker, that there are more de- linquents in families where the mother works; they are found in’ greater numbers in families where the parents are divided and where the children lack af- fection. The child of a ne mo- ther acquires a martked sense of responsibility. Less pampered, he shares earlier in domestic chores, runs errands, carries out by 1970 boils down to finding markets, And the market easiest to influence as to expansion is our own home market. This is said not to downgrade the im- portance of export markets but to raise the importance of a home market of 22 million for Canadian: industry. In 1961 Canada imported $4 billion worth of. goods from the USA alone. The province of Ontario, enjoying the highest rate of manufacturing in Can- ada, in 1964 imported $236 worth of manufactured goods for every head of population. . These imported goods. add up to a lot of jobs we haven’t got at the present time. Why should this safe market for Canadian goods be given away to the USA in, dubious exchange for “free trade areas” in the home ‘market of the giant U.S. mono- polies? Canada should concentrate on cutting-back ‘our imports of manufactured goods from the USA. The~ labor movement should mount. popular mass pressure for government action to safeguard the Canadian. mar- eine’ me April 30, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PO9* small jobs on his ow? ant 4 self-reliance. There is no doubt thé ment inquiry to be red! OW _the CNTU would thro i “light on this problem ° at work. ¢ Social security Pail adapted to new neck i perhaps put*women in 4 sil) to assume more ea5!/4/ double task of home i ‘ part, or full-time work | : ket for Canadian- made Pt and to promote mani ie in Canada. Along with this thé ment should be pres, take legislative actiO®. many more dole pockets of the const nds lic. The necessary fut hand. Just examine th of corporation profits wi ' sion loopholes used si ness to evade tax pa $14 billion war pudget i ted to rise to $2% 1970. Such measures 7 clude a shorter leg@! va day or week; large-5° lopment, construction ing programs; subs creases in social wel ily allowances and uth ment insurance pay@) tended basic income * tions for the lower brackets; a comprehens™ icare program: \ There is no time YW aft those 114 million jobs found by 1970.