#The Official Shrewsbury 24 Campaign RSS Feed The Official Shrewsbury 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 * Home * About our Campaign * News * Contact Us * Twitter * Facebook search this site..._ [search_btn.png]-Submit The Official Shrewsbury 24 Campaign * HISTORY + The Building Trade In 1972 + THE 1972 BUILDING WORKERS’ STRIKE + Construction Workers Unions In 1972 + Picketing At Shrewsbury + Free The Six – Film * THE TRIALS + The Employers And The Conservative Government + Arrest And Charge + Mold + Shrewsbury Trials 1,2 & 3 + Red Under the Bed + Appeals * Des Warren + Des’ Speech From The Dock + Des Warren and Amnesty International + My memories of Des Warren * THE CAMPAIGN + Print An Information Sheet + Fund raising – legal costs + Westminster Hall Debate 2015 + The Parliamentary Debate 2014 + Paper Petition + The Committee + Affiliates And Supporters + TUC Resolution 2007 * CCRC + The Criminal Cases Review Commission + Our Research * How To Support Us + Affilliation + Donations + Speaker Requests + Merchandise * The Play + United We Stand + Play News History * 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 involved and demonstrated the power and effectiveness of collective 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 1972, during the dockers dispute. The Conservative Government tried to use the Industrial Relations Act 1971 to emasculate the unions’ ability to defend members’ wages and conditions of employment. Most unions refused to recognise the provisions of the Act thus making it ineffective. 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 were operated by different employers depending upon which one had won the contract for the construction work, whether it was for houses,a factory, a hospital or an office block. Each new site often brought together a group of workers who had not worked regularly with each other and who had to negotiate afresh with the employers over rates of pay and conditions of work. Sites where “lump” workers were working proved difficult for the union members to organise. The “lumpers” weakened the unions’ negotiating strength with the employers. On any given building site there were a large number of different trades, many in separate, small unions: electricians, carpenters, painters & decorators, plasterers, bricklayers, plumbers, labourers, scaffolders, steel fixers etc.. When a building site finished, the process of negotiating new pay and conditions started all over again on the next one. The construction employers’ blacklist ensured that active trade unionists were not hired on new sites. The building workers trade unions formed a National Joint Council for the building industry. They agreed to submit a pay claim to the National Federation of Building Trades Employers for £30 per week and a basic 35-hour week for all trades. 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 towns and cities such as London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle. 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 for further talks with the unions. On Tuesday 14th September 1972 the union side in the negotiations agreed a settlement with the employers. There would be an immediate increase in basic rates of pay of £6 per week for craftsmen and £5 per week for labourers. There was no reduction in the working week from 40 hours though. Flying pickets 1972. Bristol Flying pickets 1972. © Socialist Worker 2011. This was the largest single pay increase ever negotiated in the building industry. It was a magnificent victory for trade union organisation, against all odds. The building trades employers, and their supporters in the Conservative Government, were shaken by this. One of the least well-organised groups of workers had taken on their employers and won. The Conservative Government and the employers did not let matters rest there… « Previous Next » History * The Building Trade In 1972 * The 1972 Building Workers’ Strike * Construction Workers Unions In 1972 * Picketing At Shrewsbury * Free The Six Follow On Twitter Follow @@Shrewsbury24C Des Warren Des Warren Convicted Picket Terry Renshaw Terry Renshaw "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 John McKinsie Jones "I have lived for almost 40 years with the stigma of being arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned for conspiracy... [Read More]" the official campaign Please be aware that we are the official campaign. There are other organisations, mainly based in London, with websites who are purporting to represent the convicted pickets. We wish to confirm to you that our campaign committee, based in the North West, is the only body that is acting for and has the support of the pickets. * Contact Us * Information Sheet * Twitter * Facebook * Privacy Policy