Timex women get wound up at scabs Building and civil engineering employers imposed a wage treeze on 600,000 construction workers last week, without even waiting for the unions to submit a pay claim. But the potential for rank-and-tile fightback is real, UCATT activists believe.
Representatives of the Buiding Employers Conlederation and the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors declared they were pay and conditions this year be. ause of the depth of the recession An official joint statement from UCATT, TGWU, GMB and FTAT argued: "The employers" call for a age freeze is totally unaccep!stand only too well the toll of do. sures and ico losses inflicted by the recession. But we expect a wage increase to cover increases in the cost of ining.
Building workers have already endured earnings cuts through the widespread reduction in bonus pay. whie basic wage levels remain appallingly low. A labourer's basic rate is to only £7067 a year The construction unions wil be submitting a responsible wago clam as normal and we would ex pect the employors to negotiate in good faith.
But such is the bitterness among construction workers that activists believe even the smallest upturn in economic activity could trigger an loaderships' responsiblity. The miners' strike decision has signi candy boosted morale.
AUCATT member told Socialist The national agreement only exists on paper - it's realy a abo of be gong raw. cn too building sites now, the money is very, very low: In London, brick layers can expect E45-48 a day before tax, and labourers C30-35: The lowest is, wol, how desperate in you get lany advists in the Joint Six Committee, the rank-and-file grouping that successfully or ganised unofficial stoppages at everal London sites last year, now hold branch official nosis in UCATT, and are starting to reorganise in derecognised sectors.
The intest much is in the eth bi ton industy. once a tight closed shop, where the union has been all but broken. Eighteen workers in the sector re-established an exhibiton industry committee two weeks ago.