Rigger
Moderator
Just another Sh*t Site fot the cretins of this world
I have over the past few weeks being dismayed at the posting of some members of this forum as regards trade union membership and their intolerance of the views of others, some I may add trade union members themselves.
The rhetoric used and the intimidating manner does nothing to encourage people to join their appropriate trade union , in fact it turns people away, The insults and bully boy tactics of the playground have no place in the unions of today. History shows that a committed volunteer army is at least ten times more effective than a conscripted or “forced” army.
The Trade Union movement is not about a few days stoppage, usually about money, on a couple of plants.
But about building year on year a better environment for all working men and women and to be seen doing it in a democratic and fair way. I know there are dedicated trade unionists that post to this site that give their time, effort and sometimes hard earned money to further the cause. My hat is off to them. I was myself an active trade unionist between 1971 and 1975 and a Branch Secretary for TGWU for 3 years.
At that period in time we had a great opportunity to radically change the construction industry. We achieved some of our aims; other issues have still not been resolved to this day.
I know that the workers of this country need and deserve representative organisations to make their case at a national level. The employers have a vast network working on their behalf at all levels including the media and government.
Is it our national attitude of “I am alright Jack, fook you” or the forelock touching demeanour of many, or is it the apathy and cannot be bothered stance that holds us back from having a true democracy in this United Kingdom of ours.
Sorry I do not have the answers………but the French may.
Cut and paste from Wikipedia
“The national strike of 1972
In 1972, shortly after its formation, UCATT along with the GMWU, and TGWU, two sister unions involved in construction and civil engineering, was involved in a major national joint industrial dispute. Building workers all over the country went on strike, demanding a minimum wage of £30 a week, along with a campaign to abolish the 'Lump Labour Scheme', which institutionalised casual cash - paid, daily labour. The strike took the form of a 13-week long stoppage which affected many major sites, effectively bringing the industry to the table.
Several months after the strike, at a time when some of the strikers' aims had been largely settled, a number of building workers were investigated for acts of sabotage and vandalism during the dispute, of these a number were party to high profile police investigation, mainly arising from pressure by major contractors, and politicians anxious to suppress a grass roots working movement, which, for the first time ever, demonstrated that the building industry could be organised by trade unions where the cause was just. Two building workers, Ricky Tomlinson a TGWU Plasterer and strike leader, and Des Warren of UCATT, a steel fixer, and leading lay official, became known as (the "Shrewsbury Two)" and were found guilty of common law conspiracy as a result of their picketing activities. Both were jailed at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The whole of the trade union movement saw common cause with the Shrewsbury strikers, and it was widely felt that the trial and prosecution had been unsafe, based more upon industrial and political revenge from the Heath Government, than sound principle. Statements from unsafe sources had been taken by biased police officials working under the direction of a hostile government.
In the intervening years, Des Warren developed serious health problems as a result of overdoses of medication whilst in solitary, while his fellow campaigner, Ricky Tomlinson went on to become a successful entertainer, who along with others took their case to the TUC Conference in 1975, to little success.
In 2004, Des Warren died without the pardon that various activists and trade unionists had campaigned for ever since
.
Post-Warren
After Warren's death, a number of key safety campaigners, unions, and Warren's own family gathered to commemorate him in Liverpool, the following excerpts were from a web site in his memory:
At the beginning of the 1970s, the poor safety record and low wages was creating anger amongst unionised workers in the construction industry. Non-unionised workers were subjected to a system known as ‘the lump’ – cash-only payment in a lump sum, without any security or employment rights. The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) proposed a ‘builder’s charter’ – guaranteeing a 35-hour week, a wage of £1 an hour, improved safety and pensions.
The building industry – led by companies such as McAlpine's and Laing's – were terrified by this threat to their profits, as were Ted Heath’s Conservative government. Against the background of the Vietnam War and emerging protest movements, the ruling class was worried alternatives to capitalism gaining popularity. In fact Lord McAlpine was treasurer of the Tories, so he was doubly worried!
The unionised workers began to use ‘flying pickets’ as a tactic to win the lump workers around to their cause. Among the leaders were Des Warren (who worked in Ellesmere Port for a time) and Eric (‘Ricky’) Tomlinson (who is now better known for his roles in Brookside and The Royle Family).
On September 6, 1972, coachloads of UCATT and Transport and General Workers Union members from North Wales and Chester went to the market town of Shrewsbury to assist trade union members there, by picketing the sites. At one place they were greeted by the son of one boss brandishing a shotgun, at another site a building company director challenged Des Warren to a fight, but by the end of the day when the men set off for home they felt it hadn't been a bad day's union work, and there had been no trouble with the police.
Six months later – with the conflict between strikers and government intensifying – the authorities took “vicious retribution and recrimination”, in the words of one of today’s speakers. Warren and Tomlinson were arrested in connection with the Shrewsbury events (along with twenty-two others), and charged with unlawful assembly, affray and conspiracy to intimidate. After a bizarre and blatantly unfair trial, they were found guilty of the conspiracy charge by the capitalist state and a middle class jury.
Warren received three years in prison, and Tomlinson got two years. They became known as the ‘Shrewsbury Two’, and a campaign was launched to set them free. But if the trial had been a deliberate conspiracy of the Employers' Federation, government and state, then the campaign saw a conspiracy by leaders of the Labour Party, the TUC and UCATT to limit the threat to the profit system. Workers were told to vote for a Labour government, but when they got one Harold Wilson and James Callaghan refused to cut short Warren’s sentence or launch an inquiry. Callaghan’s government began the attack on workers’ rights that was accelerated by Thatcher and is still supported by Blair, Brown, and almost every politician you are likely to see on the news.
Along with speeches from Mick Abbott (an ex building worker, shop steward and friend of Des) and Dave Ayres (who helps run Des’ trust fund), a video was screened. In it, Des described how he was treated in prison. When he demanded a single cell, went on hunger strike and refused to wear prison clothes, a doctor prescribed some ‘medication’, which Des was eventually persuaded to take for three weeks. He recalled how “within ten minutes I was asleep…it was hazy the first couple of days…my hand used to come to a halt and my words went smaller and smaller”.
Recession and recovery
During the late 1980s, and early 1990s, UCATT suffered a long debilitating recession, with successive attacks from a hostile Conservative government, which culminated in the union having to go into a long period of management over serious financial deficits from falling membership rolls. UCATT having had tried for many years to sustain cash contributions from members collected on site in the age of increasing technology.
This period of serious decline was co incidental with strong rumours of a merger with various other unions, chief among them the TGWU, and gains being made by GMB.
Throughout the 1980s, a strong joint Sites Movement of regular UCATT, TGWU, GMB, AEEUW, members characterised the construction Unions' work on sites in Major Cities, many of whom had remained crowded, unsafe, and casualised places in need of true reform.
UCATT however, emerged under the new leadership of George Brumwell, its General Secretary in 1992.
George Brumwell, a strong, charismatic leader, put the lean-and-mean UCATT back to work, and by 2001, had largely affected a turn around in the union's fortunes, with a number of cost containing measures such as the closure of a number of local offices and strategic redundancies. This all but eliminated the deficits, and built a new more readily sustainable UCATT which was significantly smaller than before.
The union also found itself running a 'Safety Culture' campaign across the industry, while campaigning for a case for construction and regeneration, which became part of the strategy of the New Labour government following its election victory in 1997.
Following a rule-change in 1995, UCATT has a lay Executive Council. Its present General Secretary is Alan Ritchie, formerly the Scottish Regional Secretary. It is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress and the Labour Party, as well as to the Building and Wood Workers' International and the EFBWW, European Federation of Building and Wood Workers.
Today
In 2006, UCATT, T&G, and GMB, the successors to the joint unions of 1972 ran a seven day strike on the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5 in pursuit of £1.00 on bonus, and back pay. The employer was Laing O'Rourke the successor to John Laing Ltd, one of the big employers of 1972. After the dispute was resolved the strikers received 80% of their original aims and substantial back pay.[citation needed]
As representative of the views of site workers, UCATT takes the unions' seat on the government/industry body, the Strategic Forum for Construction.
Alan Ritchie was forced to stand down as General Secretary in March 2011 due to an order by the Certification Officer. The 2009 election was to be treated as 'void and of no effect' and a new election to be run by the 29th July 2011. Michael Dooley claimed the election was unfair because less than 50% of UCATT's 130,000 members received ballot papers.[4”
I have over the past few weeks being dismayed at the posting of some members of this forum as regards trade union membership and their intolerance of the views of others, some I may add trade union members themselves.
The rhetoric used and the intimidating manner does nothing to encourage people to join their appropriate trade union , in fact it turns people away, The insults and bully boy tactics of the playground have no place in the unions of today. History shows that a committed volunteer army is at least ten times more effective than a conscripted or “forced” army.
The Trade Union movement is not about a few days stoppage, usually about money, on a couple of plants.
But about building year on year a better environment for all working men and women and to be seen doing it in a democratic and fair way. I know there are dedicated trade unionists that post to this site that give their time, effort and sometimes hard earned money to further the cause. My hat is off to them. I was myself an active trade unionist between 1971 and 1975 and a Branch Secretary for TGWU for 3 years.
At that period in time we had a great opportunity to radically change the construction industry. We achieved some of our aims; other issues have still not been resolved to this day.
I know that the workers of this country need and deserve representative organisations to make their case at a national level. The employers have a vast network working on their behalf at all levels including the media and government.
Is it our national attitude of “I am alright Jack, fook you” or the forelock touching demeanour of many, or is it the apathy and cannot be bothered stance that holds us back from having a true democracy in this United Kingdom of ours.
Sorry I do not have the answers………but the French may.
Cut and paste from Wikipedia
“The national strike of 1972
In 1972, shortly after its formation, UCATT along with the GMWU, and TGWU, two sister unions involved in construction and civil engineering, was involved in a major national joint industrial dispute. Building workers all over the country went on strike, demanding a minimum wage of £30 a week, along with a campaign to abolish the 'Lump Labour Scheme', which institutionalised casual cash - paid, daily labour. The strike took the form of a 13-week long stoppage which affected many major sites, effectively bringing the industry to the table.
Several months after the strike, at a time when some of the strikers' aims had been largely settled, a number of building workers were investigated for acts of sabotage and vandalism during the dispute, of these a number were party to high profile police investigation, mainly arising from pressure by major contractors, and politicians anxious to suppress a grass roots working movement, which, for the first time ever, demonstrated that the building industry could be organised by trade unions where the cause was just. Two building workers, Ricky Tomlinson a TGWU Plasterer and strike leader, and Des Warren of UCATT, a steel fixer, and leading lay official, became known as (the "Shrewsbury Two)" and were found guilty of common law conspiracy as a result of their picketing activities. Both were jailed at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The whole of the trade union movement saw common cause with the Shrewsbury strikers, and it was widely felt that the trial and prosecution had been unsafe, based more upon industrial and political revenge from the Heath Government, than sound principle. Statements from unsafe sources had been taken by biased police officials working under the direction of a hostile government.
In the intervening years, Des Warren developed serious health problems as a result of overdoses of medication whilst in solitary, while his fellow campaigner, Ricky Tomlinson went on to become a successful entertainer, who along with others took their case to the TUC Conference in 1975, to little success.
In 2004, Des Warren died without the pardon that various activists and trade unionists had campaigned for ever since
.
Post-Warren
After Warren's death, a number of key safety campaigners, unions, and Warren's own family gathered to commemorate him in Liverpool, the following excerpts were from a web site in his memory:
At the beginning of the 1970s, the poor safety record and low wages was creating anger amongst unionised workers in the construction industry. Non-unionised workers were subjected to a system known as ‘the lump’ – cash-only payment in a lump sum, without any security or employment rights. The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) proposed a ‘builder’s charter’ – guaranteeing a 35-hour week, a wage of £1 an hour, improved safety and pensions.
The building industry – led by companies such as McAlpine's and Laing's – were terrified by this threat to their profits, as were Ted Heath’s Conservative government. Against the background of the Vietnam War and emerging protest movements, the ruling class was worried alternatives to capitalism gaining popularity. In fact Lord McAlpine was treasurer of the Tories, so he was doubly worried!
The unionised workers began to use ‘flying pickets’ as a tactic to win the lump workers around to their cause. Among the leaders were Des Warren (who worked in Ellesmere Port for a time) and Eric (‘Ricky’) Tomlinson (who is now better known for his roles in Brookside and The Royle Family).
On September 6, 1972, coachloads of UCATT and Transport and General Workers Union members from North Wales and Chester went to the market town of Shrewsbury to assist trade union members there, by picketing the sites. At one place they were greeted by the son of one boss brandishing a shotgun, at another site a building company director challenged Des Warren to a fight, but by the end of the day when the men set off for home they felt it hadn't been a bad day's union work, and there had been no trouble with the police.
Six months later – with the conflict between strikers and government intensifying – the authorities took “vicious retribution and recrimination”, in the words of one of today’s speakers. Warren and Tomlinson were arrested in connection with the Shrewsbury events (along with twenty-two others), and charged with unlawful assembly, affray and conspiracy to intimidate. After a bizarre and blatantly unfair trial, they were found guilty of the conspiracy charge by the capitalist state and a middle class jury.
Warren received three years in prison, and Tomlinson got two years. They became known as the ‘Shrewsbury Two’, and a campaign was launched to set them free. But if the trial had been a deliberate conspiracy of the Employers' Federation, government and state, then the campaign saw a conspiracy by leaders of the Labour Party, the TUC and UCATT to limit the threat to the profit system. Workers were told to vote for a Labour government, but when they got one Harold Wilson and James Callaghan refused to cut short Warren’s sentence or launch an inquiry. Callaghan’s government began the attack on workers’ rights that was accelerated by Thatcher and is still supported by Blair, Brown, and almost every politician you are likely to see on the news.
Along with speeches from Mick Abbott (an ex building worker, shop steward and friend of Des) and Dave Ayres (who helps run Des’ trust fund), a video was screened. In it, Des described how he was treated in prison. When he demanded a single cell, went on hunger strike and refused to wear prison clothes, a doctor prescribed some ‘medication’, which Des was eventually persuaded to take for three weeks. He recalled how “within ten minutes I was asleep…it was hazy the first couple of days…my hand used to come to a halt and my words went smaller and smaller”.
Recession and recovery
During the late 1980s, and early 1990s, UCATT suffered a long debilitating recession, with successive attacks from a hostile Conservative government, which culminated in the union having to go into a long period of management over serious financial deficits from falling membership rolls. UCATT having had tried for many years to sustain cash contributions from members collected on site in the age of increasing technology.
This period of serious decline was co incidental with strong rumours of a merger with various other unions, chief among them the TGWU, and gains being made by GMB.
Throughout the 1980s, a strong joint Sites Movement of regular UCATT, TGWU, GMB, AEEUW, members characterised the construction Unions' work on sites in Major Cities, many of whom had remained crowded, unsafe, and casualised places in need of true reform.
UCATT however, emerged under the new leadership of George Brumwell, its General Secretary in 1992.
George Brumwell, a strong, charismatic leader, put the lean-and-mean UCATT back to work, and by 2001, had largely affected a turn around in the union's fortunes, with a number of cost containing measures such as the closure of a number of local offices and strategic redundancies. This all but eliminated the deficits, and built a new more readily sustainable UCATT which was significantly smaller than before.
The union also found itself running a 'Safety Culture' campaign across the industry, while campaigning for a case for construction and regeneration, which became part of the strategy of the New Labour government following its election victory in 1997.
Following a rule-change in 1995, UCATT has a lay Executive Council. Its present General Secretary is Alan Ritchie, formerly the Scottish Regional Secretary. It is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress and the Labour Party, as well as to the Building and Wood Workers' International and the EFBWW, European Federation of Building and Wood Workers.
Today
In 2006, UCATT, T&G, and GMB, the successors to the joint unions of 1972 ran a seven day strike on the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5 in pursuit of £1.00 on bonus, and back pay. The employer was Laing O'Rourke the successor to John Laing Ltd, one of the big employers of 1972. After the dispute was resolved the strikers received 80% of their original aims and substantial back pay.[citation needed]
As representative of the views of site workers, UCATT takes the unions' seat on the government/industry body, the Strategic Forum for Construction.
Alan Ritchie was forced to stand down as General Secretary in March 2011 due to an order by the Certification Officer. The 2009 election was to be treated as 'void and of no effect' and a new election to be run by the 29th July 2011. Michael Dooley claimed the election was unfair because less than 50% of UCATT's 130,000 members received ballot papers.[4”
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