ABSTRACT
The West Yorkshire Homeworking Group is part of a network of groups around the country which has grown up since homework was revived as an issue in the 1970s. Their concern is not only to document homework but also to bring about change, in particular legal measures to protect homeworkers. A comparison with the agitation early in the twentieth century shows both continuity and change. The most important parallel is the part played by the women’s movement and feminist ideas in general, in terms of both research and organising. The two periods have seen an alliance of forces, with women’s organisations co-operating with trade unions, researchers, sections of the church and others. But there are also important differences arising from the specific historical context. First, there has been a change of emphasis in the groups working on homeworking, from acting on behalf of homeworkers to working with them. Second, the position of black and Asian
women in Britain today, and their role in the homework campaigns, are of crucial importance. The third main difference is the international outlook of the campaigns which have begun to understand the links between women around the world as the basis for solidarity and mutual education.
