Subscribe to our Construction Newsfeed
UK Construction Directory
Search our 147,684 companies....

Construction News

15/01/2010

Former UCATT Regional Secretary Dies

Lou Lewis the former UCATT Regional Secretary for the union's London and South East Region died on Monday 11 January 2010.

Aged 71, Lou was a leading figure in the rank and file builders' movement in the 1960s and 1970s who later rose to become a highly effective and respected UCATT Regional Secretary for the London South East Region.

He joined the union as soon as he began his bricklaying apprenticeship after leaving school. This was the mid 1950s, when union hierarchies were often remote from their members and the "shop stewards' revolution" of the following decade had yet to begin. So it was natural that Lou, with his militant and left-leaning instincts, should become a key player in the unofficial groupings that would soon begin to emerge in construction.

Lou and the other activists sought both to unite workers from different trades and unions and to push union leaderships into a more confrontational approach to industrial relations.

-- Advertisement --
hss

As the union convener at the Barbican site in central London, he put his credo into action and led several so-called wildcat disputes, including a lengthy strike in 1967.

Being a bricklayer, Lewis was a member of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Operatives, one of the unions that in 1971 joined forces to create UCATT. The merger was backed by the rank and file movement, as was the militant stance which the new union took towards the employers in the following year. UCATT called a national strike in support of its demand for a £30 a week basic rate of pay and Lou was one of those who ensured that the strike was particularly effective in the London region.

Lou was a founder member of the Builders’ Charter and a leading figure in the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions. Both were strongly influenced by the Communist Party, of which he was an active member. The Charter pressed for action on many issues, such as "the lump" and the increasingly casualised nature of building worker employment, that were to be taken up by the union.

Following the 1972 strike, many of the key figures in the dispute joined the mainstream union movement. Lou was one of these and he became a full-time official in the London region and as such was able to deploy the considerable negotiating skills and oratory that he had acquired as a militant shop steward in the service of the union. He eventually retired in 2003, having stepped down at the end of 2002 as the Regional Secretary.

(CD/GK)

Latest Construction News

25/06/2026
An £11 million programme at Garforth wastewater treatment works in Allerton Bywater has been completed, delivering cleaner treated water to Sheffield Beck. Yorkshire Water, working with its contractor Mott Macdonald Bentley, said the scheme will significantly cut the phosphorus returned to the beck
Read More
25/06/2026
McLaughlin & Harvey has been named winner of Best New Building at the 2026 Construction News & Property Week Life Sciences, Tech & Research Clusters Awards. The accolade recognises Trinity by Breakthrough, a cutting-edge biotech research facility delivered by the contractor. The judges said the pr
Read More
25/06/2026
National Grid has switched on 44km of newly built overhead power lines from Sandford to Seabank, marking a major step forward for the Hinkley Connection Project. Once fully complete, the scheme will deliver low‑carbon, homegrown electricity to around six million homes and businesses across th
Read More
25/06/2026
Two ornate gateways in Wisbech town centre have been removed on a temporary basis for safety repairs and restoration following an inspection. The steel 'High Street' and 'Market Place' arches, installed more than 30 years ago as entrances to the historic centre, were taken down on Wednesday 23 June
Read More
25/06/2026
As 47% of UK managers say the current heatwave is negatively affecting productivity, Essential Site Skills is urging employers to look beyond lost output and treat extreme heat as a serious workplace safety risk. •
Read More
25/06/2026
Kier has promoted Barry Jupp to managing director of its Highways business within the Infrastructure division, effective 1 July 2026. He will oversee the delivery of essential road construction and maintenance services across the UK, leading an around 2,000-strong team. His priorities include supp
Read More
25/06/2026
FIS has launched a short, targeted e-learning module. The Building Safety Act Wales 2026 to help contractors, designers and specialists prepare for significant changes to building regulation
Read More
25/06/2026
When an emergency strikes, every second matters. The Dräger CF15 Escape Set is a dependable self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) designed to provide up to 15 minutes of clean, breathable air, helping individuals escape quickly and safely from hazardous environments filled with smoke, toxic gase
Read More
24/06/2026
McLaren Construction (Midlands & North) has completed a flagship industrial and logistics facility at Panattoni Park Swindon, marking a key step in transforming the historic brownfield location into a high-quality logistics and employment hub for the South West. The 545,000 sq ft speculative scheme
Read More
24/06/2026
Marick Real Estate has announced the appointment of Watkin Jones Group as the construction partner for the redevelopment of 38-40 George Street into "Wilde Oxford." The project will deliver a new design-led, 145-unit lifestyle aparthotel featuring dedicated social spaces. The development also incor
Read More
BRICOFLOR UKPro Structures LtdLakeside HireOcean Tiles & Bathrooms LtdAlphaFence LtdThe Access Flooring CompanyA1deSIGNSAqua Direct LtdImperial Integrated Systems LtdMeadowson Ltd