by "Building Worker' Editorial Committee 'Left win control' and 'UCATT left tarn' declared the building trade press after the election results for a vacancy on the UCATT executive. And if that were true, it would make the employers' blood run cold.
Even the Morning Star last WICK TUREUOHSSTLE Left advance in won. But their election of kelly, a Labour Party member with a left of centre vich describes his polirics — mean a A closer examination of the Linion of Construction, Allied Trade and Technicians shows in fact the decline of the left vote. Tbe four leading candidates polled as follows Kelly: 6,706; McTurk: 3,765 Graves: 2,513; Rea: 2,195. All of them are full-time officials. less than 900 voles between Only about 5 per ceot of the membershin bothered to von - 16,176 out of 300,000. And ite work was doot for lett victor Kelly — be was not even formally backed by •g Broad Left meeting in the North-cast Decause he Is aD orDaniser. 1E and no-one knew anything about him The Morning Star could better have said: Left of centre candidate scrapes home In abysmally low pou as right wing in UCATT sbows itsell te be even more disorganised nominatto stand a candidate, but to support the present assistant general secretary. Les Woods, grounds that tbe alterbntive, Hardman, is more continual cringing before the CATT leadershin produced dividends. The CP has moved rapidly to the right since publication of Beilding Work ers Charter ceased in 1976.
The CP has also moved to the right on the issue of rivalry 50p. between UCATT Transport Union. Several of Jeading lights have NATACKCO MIC recruitment of building workespecially Party members and Building Group Peter Kavanugh. Not all CP members have gone along with these policies, bur little or no opposition has emerged.
A picker last Friday oubside the civil engineering employers office shows the attitude of CP members in UCATT. The picket was to protest at the death of four construction workers on the Littlebrook called by Kavanagh. The MorninG Siar picker only brictly tro day: berore, members in UCATT showed A group of building workers broke away from the CP in th London Joint Sites Committee September, 1976. formed a Rank and File Building Workers Committee Since then we have produced eight issues of the paper Building Worker.
The framework for a natiocal organisation was thrashed out Inst year, but it is still very weak, and tbere has been no national acrivity apart from selling the paper If the Communist Parc does not put forward candidate on principled DOUL LILE general secretary's position there 1s a scrong possiounty that Building Worker will mount a campaign for socialist around a candidate, followin an open national meeting of al Building Worker supporters Copies of the Building Worker policy statement and eight issues of the puper un available from: 178 Stadholme Street, London SEIS. Price