List of Construction Companies
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List of Construction Companies
TwitterFacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleRedditFor decades trade unionists in construction suspected that blacklisting took place. In an industry where workers frequently move sites and change companies, if a worker is repeatedly refused work, suspicions quickly arise.
In March 2009, fears of blacklisting were shown to be entirely justified. The Information Commissioners Office raided the Consulting Association run by Ian Kerr. They found a blacklist which contained over 3,200 names of construction workers. The scale of blacklisting was staggering, 44 construction companies including all the major players were using the Consulting Association’s services. The Consulting Association, charged companies an annual £3,000 subscription and a further £2.20 per membership check. In their final year the Consulting Association invoiced construction companies for £87,747.40 in checks alone.
Once the blacklist was uncovered the fight for justice began. UCATT provided information on how to find out whether workers had been blacklisted. When members were blacklisted we sought to win justice for them. The problem was that in 2009 blacklisting wasn’t illegal. Provisions had been made in the 1999 Employment Relations Act to outlaw blacklisting, but because hard evidence of blacklisting wasn’t then available, those regulations were not enacted. As blacklisting was not illegal the only crime the Consulting Association was deemed to have committed was a failure to have registered as a data controller. Kerr was eventually fined just £5,000 after making a career of blacklisting workers and ruining their lives.
Following the blacklisting scandal the Labour Government came forward with regulations. These regulations are so weak that they will not deter blacklisting. The only recourse for someone who has been blacklisted still remains taking a case to an employment triunal and financial loss has to be proved. UCATT has constantly argued for the regulations to be strengthened. They necessary changes are:
For the regulations to be widened from the narrow confines of “trade union activities” to the wider “activities associated with trade unions”. Ensuring trade unionists can’t be blacklisted for taking unofficial industrial action, such as a ban on voluntary overtime.
Given the difficulty of proving detriment in an employment tribunal, especially in an industry where job applications are not usually through CVs and interviews, the vast majority of employment tribunal cases have been dismissed. In many cases the main contractors doing the blacklisting were not employing the workers, who were seeking employment via sub-contractors and agencies.
As British courts have failed to provide justice for the blacklist victims, UCATT has taken the campaign to Europe. In 2011 we lodged a test case with the European Court of Human Rights, on behalf of one of our members. The case is simple, that the failure of successive Governments to outlaw blacklisting breached workers’ human rights. This failure breached the European Convention on Human Rights under Article 11 on freedom of association and Article 14 on anti-discrimination. We expect to hear from the ECHR by the end of the year that they have contacted the British Government, the first stage of a long legal process.
Although most employment tribunals brought by blacklist victims failed. Those that did come to court brought highly disturbing information to light. Not only were construction companies systematically blacklisting workers but the police and the security services were also involved in providing and presumably accessing the information. Last week during the Scottish Affairs Select Committee investigation into blacklisting it was also revealed that when the ICO made its original raid on the Consulting Association only 5% of the files present were confiscated. There are serious questions needing to be answered about what information was left behind.
UCATT believes that the Consulting Association was not the only organisation involved in blacklisting and that blacklisting occurs in other industries. To stamp out blacklisting once and for all we urgently need a public inquiry into the whole issue. It is only be bringing everything to light and finding out who was involved, that we can ensure that the disgusting practice is stamped out once and for all.
This week UCATT have launched a postcard campaign for members and construction workers to contact their local MP, asking them to support the campaign and to sign Steve Rotheram’s EDM 609 on Blacklisted Workers. The EDM and the Postcard campaign are calling for both a public inquiry and for blacklisting to become a criminal offence. To request a postcard or to email your MP please click here.
This is a touchstone issue for Labour. Far more should have been done to stamp out blacklisting. Even when the scandal broke in 2009, Labour’s response was weak. Our party needs to learn from its past errors where it lost millions of votes, because workers felt they had been abandoned. By fighting and winning justice for blacklisted workers, Labour will be showing that they are on their side. At UCATT we will not stop campaigning until every blacklisted victim wins justice for the abuse they suffered.
Without being an expert in the construction industry, I would need to understand why workers are blacklisted to support this article: if they are known trouble makers (by which I refer to being disruptive to the effectiveness of other workers and managers to undertake their daily jobs on a site, as opposed to being politically motivated), or routinely put out poor quality work, then I see no problem with a simple system which operates as a “reference check” (akin to other systems already in place for doctors, nurses and teachers): indeed I believe most people would prefer to see poor quality work stamped out over introducing legislation designed to widen access. We are fortunate that there is no history of public buildings falling down after having been built on the cheap or by unscrupulous and corrupt officials and companies, but it does happen elsewhere.
Without being an expert in the construction industry, I would need to understand why workers are blacklisted to support this article: if they are known trouble makers (by which I refer to being disruptive to the effectiveness of other workers and managers to undertake their daily jobs on a site, as opposed to being politically motivated), or routinely put out poor quality work, then I see no problem with a simple system which operates as a “reference check” (akin to other systems already in place for doctors, nurses and teachers): indeed I believe most people would prefer to see poor quality work stamped out over introducing legislation designed to widen access. We are fortunate that there is no history of public buildings falling down after having been built on the cheap or by unscrupulous and corrupt officials and companies, but it does happen elsewhere.
The 2008 Obama campaign showed innovation in political campaigning that had never previously been seen, mobilising grassroots support via the internet. He reaped the reward of millions of volunteers and small-sum campaign donors, but Obama’s innovative campaign also set a precedent for innovative policy making – people saw that he could deliver a pioneering new project and believed he could do the same across public services. Labour continues to deliver tired leaflets through letterboxes and in doing so we miss [...]
The Labour Party must start to make a more forceful defence of our membership of the European Union. We musn’t be afraid to articulate the positive aspects of EU membership. Nor must we hesitate in calling out the Tories out when they attempt to pacify their backbenches by pursuing policies that are against the national interest. We have not done this so far. As a result we are losing the debate and face the very real prospect of losing a [...]
Have you ever taken the UK citizenship test? If you were born in Britain, then you almost certainly won’t have done – as you don’t need to. You’re British citizenship was in all likelihood conferred on you at around the same time you got your NHS number, and perhaps even before you had a name. I’ve taken the UK citizenship test, just to see how I’d do. I failed. Quite badly. 17 out of 24 was my best effort. Despite [...]
George Osborne might want to wrap up the victory lap he’s been doing since yesterday’s GDP figures were released. Compared to the US economy, we’ve hardly had any growth at all. Here’s the UK economy compared to the US over the last 12 months: The last twelve months have been tough though, so lets take a longer view. here’s the last 24 months: Oh dear. Well at least we’re nearing our pre crisis peak, aren’t we? No. We’re still way [...]
For decades trade unionists in construction suspected that blacklisting took place. In an industry where workers frequently move sites and change companies, if a worker is repeatedly refused work, suspicions quickly arise. In March 2009, fears of blacklisting were shown to be entirely justified. The Information Commissioners Office raided the Consulting Association run by Ian Kerr. They found a blacklist which contained over 3,200 names of construction workers. The scale of blacklisting was staggering, 44 construction companies including all the major players [...]
Read more →← previous next → HomeAboutComments policyContactDonateLegalsearch:© All content is the copyright of LabourList but we give permission for its use, unless otherwise stated. The views expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of LabourList.
In March 2009, fears of blacklisting were shown to be entirely justified. The Information Commissioners Office raided the Consulting Association run by Ian Kerr. They found a blacklist which contained over 3,200 names of construction workers. The scale of blacklisting was staggering, 44 construction companies including all the major players were using the Consulting Association’s services. The Consulting Association, charged companies an annual £3,000 subscription and a further £2.20 per membership check. In their final year the Consulting Association invoiced construction companies for £87,747.40 in checks alone.
Once the blacklist was uncovered the fight for justice began. UCATT provided information on how to find out whether workers had been blacklisted. When members were blacklisted we sought to win justice for them. The problem was that in 2009 blacklisting wasn’t illegal. Provisions had been made in the 1999 Employment Relations Act to outlaw blacklisting, but because hard evidence of blacklisting wasn’t then available, those regulations were not enacted. As blacklisting was not illegal the only crime the Consulting Association was deemed to have committed was a failure to have registered as a data controller. Kerr was eventually fined just £5,000 after making a career of blacklisting workers and ruining their lives.
Following the blacklisting scandal the Labour Government came forward with regulations. These regulations are so weak that they will not deter blacklisting. The only recourse for someone who has been blacklisted still remains taking a case to an employment triunal and financial loss has to be proved. UCATT has constantly argued for the regulations to be strengthened. They necessary changes are:
For the regulations to be widened from the narrow confines of “trade union activities” to the wider “activities associated with trade unions”. Ensuring trade unionists can’t be blacklisted for taking unofficial industrial action, such as a ban on voluntary overtime.
Given the difficulty of proving detriment in an employment tribunal, especially in an industry where job applications are not usually through CVs and interviews, the vast majority of employment tribunal cases have been dismissed. In many cases the main contractors doing the blacklisting were not employing the workers, who were seeking employment via sub-contractors and agencies.
As British courts have failed to provide justice for the blacklist victims, UCATT has taken the campaign to Europe. In 2011 we lodged a test case with the European Court of Human Rights, on behalf of one of our members. The case is simple, that the failure of successive Governments to outlaw blacklisting breached workers’ human rights. This failure breached the European Convention on Human Rights under Article 11 on freedom of association and Article 14 on anti-discrimination. We expect to hear from the ECHR by the end of the year that they have contacted the British Government, the first stage of a long legal process.
Although most employment tribunals brought by blacklist victims failed. Those that did come to court brought highly disturbing information to light. Not only were construction companies systematically blacklisting workers but the police and the security services were also involved in providing and presumably accessing the information. Last week during the Scottish Affairs Select Committee investigation into blacklisting it was also revealed that when the ICO made its original raid on the Consulting Association only 5% of the files present were confiscated. There are serious questions needing to be answered about what information was left behind.
UCATT believes that the Consulting Association was not the only organisation involved in blacklisting and that blacklisting occurs in other industries. To stamp out blacklisting once and for all we urgently need a public inquiry into the whole issue. It is only be bringing everything to light and finding out who was involved, that we can ensure that the disgusting practice is stamped out once and for all.
This week UCATT have launched a postcard campaign for members and construction workers to contact their local MP, asking them to support the campaign and to sign Steve Rotheram’s EDM 609 on Blacklisted Workers. The EDM and the Postcard campaign are calling for both a public inquiry and for blacklisting to become a criminal offence. To request a postcard or to email your MP please click here.
This is a touchstone issue for Labour. Far more should have been done to stamp out blacklisting. Even when the scandal broke in 2009, Labour’s response was weak. Our party needs to learn from its past errors where it lost millions of votes, because workers felt they had been abandoned. By fighting and winning justice for blacklisted workers, Labour will be showing that they are on their side. At UCATT we will not stop campaigning until every blacklisted victim wins justice for the abuse they suffered.
Without being an expert in the construction industry, I would need to understand why workers are blacklisted to support this article: if they are known trouble makers (by which I refer to being disruptive to the effectiveness of other workers and managers to undertake their daily jobs on a site, as opposed to being politically motivated), or routinely put out poor quality work, then I see no problem with a simple system which operates as a “reference check” (akin to other systems already in place for doctors, nurses and teachers): indeed I believe most people would prefer to see poor quality work stamped out over introducing legislation designed to widen access. We are fortunate that there is no history of public buildings falling down after having been built on the cheap or by unscrupulous and corrupt officials and companies, but it does happen elsewhere.
Without being an expert in the construction industry, I would need to understand why workers are blacklisted to support this article: if they are known trouble makers (by which I refer to being disruptive to the effectiveness of other workers and managers to undertake their daily jobs on a site, as opposed to being politically motivated), or routinely put out poor quality work, then I see no problem with a simple system which operates as a “reference check” (akin to other systems already in place for doctors, nurses and teachers): indeed I believe most people would prefer to see poor quality work stamped out over introducing legislation designed to widen access. We are fortunate that there is no history of public buildings falling down after having been built on the cheap or by unscrupulous and corrupt officials and companies, but it does happen elsewhere.
The 2008 Obama campaign showed innovation in political campaigning that had never previously been seen, mobilising grassroots support via the internet. He reaped the reward of millions of volunteers and small-sum campaign donors, but Obama’s innovative campaign also set a precedent for innovative policy making – people saw that he could deliver a pioneering new project and believed he could do the same across public services. Labour continues to deliver tired leaflets through letterboxes and in doing so we miss [...]
The Labour Party must start to make a more forceful defence of our membership of the European Union. We musn’t be afraid to articulate the positive aspects of EU membership. Nor must we hesitate in calling out the Tories out when they attempt to pacify their backbenches by pursuing policies that are against the national interest. We have not done this so far. As a result we are losing the debate and face the very real prospect of losing a [...]
Have you ever taken the UK citizenship test? If you were born in Britain, then you almost certainly won’t have done – as you don’t need to. You’re British citizenship was in all likelihood conferred on you at around the same time you got your NHS number, and perhaps even before you had a name. I’ve taken the UK citizenship test, just to see how I’d do. I failed. Quite badly. 17 out of 24 was my best effort. Despite [...]
George Osborne might want to wrap up the victory lap he’s been doing since yesterday’s GDP figures were released. Compared to the US economy, we’ve hardly had any growth at all. Here’s the UK economy compared to the US over the last 12 months: The last twelve months have been tough though, so lets take a longer view. here’s the last 24 months: Oh dear. Well at least we’re nearing our pre crisis peak, aren’t we? No. We’re still way [...]
For decades trade unionists in construction suspected that blacklisting took place. In an industry where workers frequently move sites and change companies, if a worker is repeatedly refused work, suspicions quickly arise. In March 2009, fears of blacklisting were shown to be entirely justified. The Information Commissioners Office raided the Consulting Association run by Ian Kerr. They found a blacklist which contained over 3,200 names of construction workers. The scale of blacklisting was staggering, 44 construction companies including all the major players [...]
Read more →← previous next → HomeAboutComments policyContactDonateLegalsearch:© All content is the copyright of LabourList but we give permission for its use, unless otherwise stated. The views expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of LabourList.
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