Ep 19 – Jobs for women! Fighting sexism at the Port Kembla steelworks

Since it was founded in the 1920s, BHP's Port Kembla steelworks has completely dominated the town of Wollongong, employing over 25,000 workers at its peak and physically towering over the city. For much of its existence, the steelworks also systematically discriminated against women, deliberately confining women to only the lowest-paying jobs, refusing to employ women as steelworkers, and making up arbitrary rules to keep women out - all while constantly advertising for new jobs. In the 1970s, women in Wollongong decided to fight back. They protested, chained themselves to the gates of the steelworks, and sneaked in and stayed for overnight shifts with the support of male steelworkers. Then, in 1980, activists stepped up the pressure and began a largescale Jobs for Women campaign that involved thousands of workers, led to a protest encampment being set up outside the steelworks, and witnessed mass rallies for women's rights in the centre of Wollongong. To talk about this amazing struggle, we're joined by in this episode socialist activist Diana Covell, a founding member of the Jobs for Women campaign and a former steelworker at Port Kembla. Find full show notes and links for this episode at our website - www.peopleshistory.com.au Support us on Patreon here - www.patreon.com/peopleshistoryofaustralia