Northern building sites stay silent

Workers Press no. 872, 19 September 1972 · scan page 12

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BY OUR OWN REPORTER BUILDING WORKERS in Scotland and the Midlands stayed defiantly on against the 26-month pay-trap deal their union leaders and employers.

In Birmingham and on Merseyside mass meetings today will decide whether to continue this action, while Dundee is to meet later in the week. Sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Bolton have already decided to remain out for at least another week.

Ken Barlow, Birmingham regional secretary of the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians, said the purpose of today's meeting would be to 'seek the men's opinion' on whether to continue.

He added: "Any return to work should be a dignified and disciplined procedure and we do not think a return to work today would be dignified.' At Birmingham's Woodgate valley site yesterday-the largest site in the Midlands, where 2,500 houses are uncompleted—a 400strong meeting called by shop stewards decided to stay out to await the decision from today's meeting.

David Parker, UCATT painters' steward at the site, told diabolical. There should have been a mass vote on the offer and it would have been turned down decisively.' LECTURES THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MAR given by (SLL national London Development of Ma through working-class Sunday September 24 Nature of the capitailst Sunday October 1 Historical materialism Sunday October 8 EAST HAM TOWN HALL Lister Room Barking Rd, 7 Liverpool Nature of the capitalist Tuesday September 19 Historical materialism today Tuesday September 26 AEU HOUSE Mount Pleasant Liverpool 1, 7.30