24 Campaign Atom Feed The Official Shrewsbury 24 Campaign » Feed The
   Official Shrewsbury 24 Campaign » Comments Feed The Official Shrewsbury
   24 Campaign » The 1972 Building Workers’ Strike Comments Feed alternate
   alternate alternate

--

     * The Building Trade In 1972
     * The 1972 Building Workers’ Strike
     * Construction Workers Unions In 1972
     * Picketing At Shrewsbury
     * Free The Six

The 1972 Building Workers’ Strike

   The first national building workers strike was one of a large number of
   industrial disputes in 1972. They included miners, steelworkers, car
   workers and dockers. These disputes had been successful for the unions
--
   action by trade union members.

   1972 saw the highest number of strike days in Britain since the General
   Strike in 1926. The Tory government called two States of Emergency. The
   first was in February 1972 during the miners’ strike. 15,000 trade
   unionists, including coal miners and local engineering workers closed
   the gates of Saltley coke depot in Birmingham. The second was in August
--

   It was different for the unions involved in the building dispute. Their
   national strike was unique because it was more difficult for building
   workers unions to organise workers in the industry. Building sites
   were, by their nature, temporary and geographically dispersed. They
--


   The employers rejected these demands and a national strike was called
   in May 1972. The trade unions decided that they would call out members
   first on the bigger and well-organised sites. These were in the main
--
   Some employers conceded the claim but the unions wanted to establish
   the principle that members throughout the country would be paid the
   same rate. An all-out strike was called in August and union members
   began to organise flying pickets to go to sites, usually in small towns
   and rural areas, which were still working. The flying picket proved to
   be a successful tactic. Instead of picketing sites where everyone had
   supported the strike and stopped working, union members decided to
   picket sites in smaller towns and other areas where support was not as
   strong. This proved to be very effective and the employers soon asked
--
   History
     * The Building Trade In 1972
     * The 1972 Building Workers’ Strike
     * Construction Workers Unions In 1972
     * Picketing At Shrewsbury
--

   "I was a 24-year-old painter and decorator, a member of UCATT, when the
   first national strike began in May 1972... [Read More]"

John McKinsie Jones