TUC a Success for UCATT and for Construction Workers

This year’s TUC has been a great success for UCATT with both of our motions on the Shrewsbury Pickets and extending the Gangmasters legalisation to the construction industry unanimously carried. In addition the motions we seconded on Council Housing and raising the participation age in education and training were also supported by Congress.

Many of UCATT’s campaigning key issues were discussed in speeches by the TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber as well as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Peter Hain, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. 

UCATT’s motion for the extension of Gangmasters’ Legislation was well received. General Secretary Alan Ritchie told Congress “Unlicensed, unregulated Gangmasters kill workers.” He explained the nature of the exploitation by Gangmasters. “European Union expansion has allowed the greedy and the unscrupulous to exploit migrant workers… Employers after a quick buck with no concern for their workers… They (migrant workers) are literally placed into bonded labour doing the same work as others but paid far less. Far below industry minimum rates, extra money is deducted for travel and accommodation.” He concluded that “the Gangmasters Act is working in agriculture, food processing and shellfish collection. The worst Gangmasters have had their licenses revoked. Many of these employment agencies have moved into construction. The Government must act now.”

UCATT’s motion to call for the TUC General Council to demand a parliamentary inquiry into the arrest of the Shrewsbury picketers was met by rapturous applause from delegates. Alan Ritchie condemned the arrests of the building workers. “It was a politically motivated prosecution. A political trial that had the sticky hand of the Conservative Home Secretary, Robert Carr all over it. A man in the pocket of the building bosses and when the Tory Government sought to use an archaic piece of legislation, they repeated the tactics of Tolpuddle.” TUC General Council will now call for an inquiry into the arrests.

The Prime Minister made positive comments in relation to apprentices. The PM announced “I say to our trades unions in the public sector, we are ready to work with you now to expand apprenticeships into local government, the NHS, the Civil Service itself, as well as into all sectors of the youth labour market.” He also announced a new countrywide service to match apprentices to companies who want their services. Mr Brown declared the Government’s intention to increase apprentice places over the long term. “Our target is to move apprenticeships in this country from today’s 250,000, which is more than three times the 70,000 it was in 1997, to expand from 250,000 to 500,000 over the next 10 years to 2020.”

Peter Hain announced his commitment to ensuring that the soaring numbers of construction deaths are addressed, in 2006/7 77 construction workers lost their lives. “Under Labour, booming house building: YES. Booming infrastructure building: YES. But not with the blood of construction workers in the foundations.” He discussed the Safety Forum to be held on 17^th September in which UCATT will play a leading role. “This will not be a talking shop. It must deliver an urgent action plan to reverse the macabre toll of rising death and injury in construction.”

To download Alan Ritchie's speech on the Shrewsbury Pickets click here

To download Alan Ritchie's speech on Gangmasters legalisation click here