Rank and file or broad left? A short history of the Building Worker Group

Pamphlet about the UK rank-and-file Building Worker Group within the UCATT union, published as issue 8 of the series Revolutions Per Minute.

Submitted by wojtek on March 12, 2013

Issue 8 is dedicated to the 3,000 building workers who have lost their lives in so-called ‘site accidents’ since the advent of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974. In the year 2000/1 there were 120 deaths on site.

Murder, in fact, would be a better word.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome readers to issue 8 of RPM, particularly as it is so good. As secretary of the Building Worker Group Brian Higgins has been involved in many of the struggles waged by building workers in the last 25 to 30 years for better pay and conditions.

As a result he has been maligned and attacked by the building employers, both large and small, agencies of the State and the trade union bureaucrats, not to mention many of their supporters on the ‘revolutionary left’. A the struggles waged by building workers in the last 25 to 30 years for better pay and conditions.

As a result he has been maligned and attacked by the building employers, both large and small, agencies of the State and the trade union bureaucrats, not to mention many of their supporters on the ‘revolutionary left’. This issue of RPM gives Brian, and the building workers he represents a chance to put ‘their side of the story’.

As such whilst it is a historical document it is also a ‘call to arms’, for action now to prevent injuries and deaths on building sites, improve pay and conditions and ultimately, for workers self control of the building industry.

Whilst primarily aimed at building workers the issues raised in the following pages affect all workers and as such the reader will find RPM 8 invaluable.

Mark Metcalf

Comments

Steven.

11 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on March 13, 2013

Nice one, thanks!

Battlescarred

4 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Battlescarred on June 11, 2019

Sad to say that Brian Higgins died last weekend.

Serge Forward

4 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Serge Forward on June 11, 2019

Aye, sorry to hear that. Political differences aside, I liked him too.

Battlescarred

4 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Battlescarred on June 11, 2019

I liked him too, and I met him on quite a few occasions, most recent being the sparks actions, a couple of years ago. The SWP put his name in lights when he was with them, and that affected him a bit, cos they made him believe that he was some sort of Tom Mann figure, nevertheless he was a genuine class struggle fighter.