(a) inscribed in fibre-tipped pen u.r.: B-A inscribed in fibre-tipped pen on reverse u.r.: Glenda Jackson inscribed in fibre-tipped pen on reverse l.r.: B.-A (b) inscribed in fibre-tipped pen u.r.: B-B inscribed in fibre-tipped pen on reverse u.r.: Glenda Jackson. inscribed in fibre-tipped pen on reverse l.r.: B-B (c) inscribed in fibre-tipped pen u.r.: BC inscribed in fibre-tipped pen on reverse u.r.: Glenda Jackson inscribed in fibre-tipped pen on reverse l.r.: B-C typed on accompanying paper label: GLENDA JACKSON / OUTWORKERS: There are approximately 30,000 outworkers / in Australia in the clothing, textiles and boot trades - / 5,000 in Victoria alone. In addition, outworkers are / employed in other tedious tasks such as folding plastic / bags, making bows and making artificial flowers. / Outwork performed at home is done mainly by migrant / women and is not covered by any health and safety laws, / although some unions do make reference to outworkers in / their federal awards. In order for a union to take up / a case the outworker must be a member of the union and / the emplpyer must be a respondent to the award. / Cost sacings to the company are clear - lower overheads / because the worker is paid at a piece rate and is often / expected to acquire and pay for equipment such as sewing / machines; the worker pays for lighting and power; the / possibility of industrial disputes is eliminated. Many / migrant women prefer to work at home because the expense / of child care often precludes the taking of an outside job. / Also, outworkers feel free from the boss’s eye and they / can do their housework, shopping, etc. when it suits / them best. The crucial role played by middlemen of the / same ethnic group as the outworker means the factory / owner does not have to acknowledge responsibility for / them. The middleman conveys the deadlines to the / worker but employers often put unrealistic time limits / on the goods and this forces the women to work round / the clock. / Despite the freedom from the oppression of the factory / situation, many outworkers suffer loneliness and isolation / from being at home all day. Community and ethnic groups / at a local level could provide opportunities for them to / meet and discuss problems of their work. Information / about their rights would be bi-lingual, and assistance / given would help outworkers to contact unions and to / demand just treatment from employers. / GLENDA JACKSON is Australian. She / worked on a two-week training / programme examining garments.
