She worked as a manager in the Singer sewing machine factory in Clydebank. During her lunch hour she went round 'the girls' and got them to sign up to the first women's union in the factory - an employer which was a collosus in Clydebank. While collecting the signatures male trade-unionists like Gavin Laird and others belittled her endeavours, until that is, she signed up a majority. Oh yes, then they stepped in to take it off her hands and march to the management's office. She later had to leave her job because the company demanded that when they laid off workers they should be 'singe parents' and she refused!
She shared a platform with the late Jimmy Reid. She was also an SNP election agent back in the days when the SNP were working with small fractions of the vote and literally signed up thousands of members - a more than useful election agent she motivated her teams and kept them disciplined so as not to give the cause a bad name.
When independence comes it will be because of the efforts of Scotland's women as much as its men. Of that there can be no doubt.
With that in mind, I recommend the following piece. It is an excerpt can be read in full at Bella Caledonia.
By Lena the Hyena
My initial response to reading Caitlin O’Hara’s piece, Independent Women, was where is the breakdown of figures showing women’s support for independence? What exactly are we talking about? What influences women in casting their votes? Do rural women vote differently from urban women? How widespread in Scotland is this tendency for women to vote for parties other than nationalists? What is the breakdown between the male and female vote in constituencies where SNP MSPs and MPs are returned?
To read on click here.
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