Report to the first International Conference of Socialist Women - Austrian Working Women

Report on the movement among the Austrian Working Women, sent in to the first International Conference of Socialist Women at Stuttgart. 

The movement among the working women of our country is affiliated to the general labour movement. 

We have no women's trade unions; even in the branches where 90 percent of the employes are women, and where the organizations contain more women than men, they are organized in common with the men. 

At the end of 1906 42 000 women were members of their unions; in 1905 there were only 28 000. There is then an increase of 33 percent in a year. These 42 000 workwomen belong to the following branches:

Builders Assistants  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .		1733
Brewers and Cask Binders  .  .  .  .  .  .   .		229
Book Binders  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .		1378
Printers and Lithographic  Printers Assistants		1087
Roof Workers .  .  .  .  .		3
Turners  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .		90
Iron and Metal Workers  .  .  .  .  .		2079
Glass Workers (Tannwald)  .  .  .  .		610
Gold Workers .   .  .   .   .  .   .  .  .		80
Girdle Makers and Bronze Workers .		536
Shop Assistants  .		161
Transport  Workers		229
Glove Makers .		48
Home Workers		1176
Wood  Workers		457
Hatmakers  . .		546
Waiters  .  .  . Cap Makers       .   .   .   .		18 57
Agricultural and Forestry		39
Leather Workers .  .  .  .  .		194
Leather fancy Ware Workers  .  .  .  .  .  .		31
Paper Workers, Chemical and India Rabber .		3582
Porcellain  Workers		1391
Private  officials     .		367
Saddlers etc.  .  .		63
Ship  loaders                                     •.		300
Umbrella  Workers		282
Tailors      .  .   .  .		350
Shoe Makers      .   .		506
Stone Workers		5
Tobacco  Workers		4495
Textile Workers		15455
Pottery Workers .  .		249
Newspaper  Carriers .		704
Brick Makers   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .		9
Balers  of  Fancy  Breads  or Pasty  Cooks		175
Various   .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .   .  .  .   .		226
	Total	42190

In all cases where any large member of women are organized, or where there is one amongst them sufficiently capable and willing, women are upon the committees of the organizations. 

In the political movement as well the working women have the same rights as the men. In the political organizations the women , pursuant to § 30 of the loi concernande, cannot take a part. But as the Schwergewicht - weight of authority rests, not in tho political organizations, but in the so-called "committee of roads and houses", the women have the same opportunity of taking part as the men. The women comrades take up the duties of the Party; they distribute the journals and leaflets; they sit on district committees, and take part in conferences concerning the elections. The principal obstacles in our path are the lack of spare time of the women workers on the one hand, and prejudice on the other; and it is owing to these that our progress is far too slow. These evils, however, are the same in all countries where women are compelled to be workers, wives and mothers at the same time. The congresses of the Labour Party and of the Trade Unions has already considered the problem of the woman worker; and they have songht suitable means to overcome the indifference of the women proletarians, in order to get them to organize. The result of our efforts appears in the figures given above. We have also beld two conferences for the German women working in Austria, dealing chiefly with questions of agitation and organization, and with the law which protect the rights of women. The first women's conference, in 1898, formed the Executive Committee of the Women of the Empire, which attempted to set on foot an agitation among the working women , to enlighten them, to increase their class­ consciousness, and, upon uccasion to organize meetings and de­ monstrations to make special demands for them. This Executive Committee had for its sphere of action the whole of German­ speaking Austria, and received pecuniary assistance from the exe­ cutive of the Party, from the Committee of the Trade Unions, and from the socialist organization of Lower Austria. Up to the present, the Executive Committee in question have had no other money. 

The Executive Committee arranges conferences for political and trade union assemblies; it sends delegates also to trade union as­ semblies and congresses from branches where female work plays a part; and, learning from experience gained in agitation, it assists the workwomen as for as possible with advice. In cases of strike or lockout, when the workwomen are taking part, the Committee is prepared to encourage them to persevere. 

The Executive Committee take part in all the political affairs of the Party. During the struggle for universal male suffrage,the women comrades played a remarkable part by holding many women's meetings and organizing demonstrations in the streets. When the Party entered upon the General Strike, the Committee published a leaflet which was distributed among the "Viennese work­ women to the extent of 150000 copies, since the General Strike was to be started at "Vienna. When at last the right of universal suffrage for men was won, the work for the elections began. Our women comrades placed themselves at the disposition of the bureau for the agitation, and they worked. 

The Executive Committee have always been effectively to the fore in questions of protest against the oppression and material disadvantage of the workers. At several meetings protest has been made against the mercenary fiscal policy adopted by the government. A special agitation was set on foot against the cleaners of meat and the necessaries of life. The "Arbeiterinnen Zeitung ", the propagandist journal of the Austrian workers, upholds the actions of the Committee; and appears twice a month with a circulation of 11000 copies. A woman belongs to the Executive Committee of the Party, and another to the Executive Committee of the united Trade Unions; and these comrades are at the same time members of the Executive Committee of the Women of the Empire, so that unity of action in propaganda is guaranteed. When the new .Reichsrat" was elected on the question of Universal Manhood Suffrage, and the Socialist Section of the Deputies commenced its deliberations, it was decided, in obedience to the wishes of the people, to demand from the government the extension of the right to vote to women. A bill is in preparation to protect the interests of working women. 

The Committee and the Austrian comrades in general will not fail to make their demands with the necessary fimmers when par­liament reassembles. The demand for political rights, especially those of voting and eligibility for election, will become londer in proportion as the excessive price of the necessaries of life becomes more and more severely felt. The government's intention of pro­viding state insurance for old age and ill health, but not for widows and orphans, will call forth vehement protestations from the women : and the demand for the franchise and the right of election for women will become longer than before. 

It remains to be stated that the movement of the Austrian women workers is purely of a working-class and socialist nature. The 42 000 women members of the Trade Unions are as much our comrades as those belonging to the societies for the instruction of women and to the political organizations. The socialist journal Die .Arbeiterinnen-Zeitung" is circulated for the most part among the women members of trade unions. The victory of universal manhood suffrage and the successes of the first elections, which won us 87 representatives, have aroused enthusiasm and fighting spirit in the hearts of the women as well; and we hope and trust that next winter the movement among the working women will gain new strength ; and that the women's organizations will make remarkable progress despite the reactionary laws against freedom of combination.