UK MAP SETTING OUT NUMBERS IN EACH AREA ON THE CONSTRUCTION BLACKLIST

THIS is the text of an article in the current issue of the GMB union magazine to members. A copy of the article with map is attached to this release.

Are you one of the 3,213 names on the construction industry blacklist?

On the page opposite is a map showing how many construction workers in each area of UK were listed on the construction industry blacklist.

The blacklist first came to light when in 2009, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) seized a Consulting Association database of 3,213 construction workers which was used by 44 companies to vet new recruits and keep out of employment trade union and health and safety activists. The ICO never contacted anyone on the list to let them know they were blacklisted.

When alias names and duplicates are excluded there are 3,213 individuals on the blacklist. The map shows where 2,554 lived or worked. There are an additional 12 unmapped in Wales and 8 unmapped in Scotland. For 639, or 20%, no proper addresses are given. The ICO using NI details could, with help of DWP, find current addresses for most of 3,213 but they have not done so.

By autumn 2012 only 194 of the 3,213 people on the blacklist knew three years later that they were on the list as these had contacted the ICO directly.

After GMB representation ICO finally agreed to supply names, date of birth, trade and town to enable a check against our own membership records to find our members on the blacklist. We found nearly 200 exact matches and we are in contact with these members to get their files from ICO. Leigh Day is preparing litigation to get them compensation at no cost to these members.

There were a further 300 GMB members who may have been on the list but we need more information to assess this.

We publish the map opposite, based on the locations supplied by ICO to us, to prompt responses. If you were a construction worker from one of these areas and you as a trade union and health and safety activist were denied work for reasons you could not explain get in touch with us and we can cross check the records. Let your construction friend see it too.

GMB priority now is to step up the campaign to get each and every GMB members blacklisted proper compensation. GMB is also still pushing ICO for proactive action to inform all builders on the list that they are on the blacklist.

A GMB report on blacklisting showed that it was not something isolated or rare. The report estimated, that in one quarter, that Carillion for example checked 2,776 names with the Consulting Association and in the period from October 1999 to April 2004 it estimates that Carillion checked at least 14,724 names.

Did you work for any Carillion company like Crown House, Schal International, SkyBlue Employment Agency, Tarmac, John Mowlem or Carillion itself or one of the other blacklisting employers?

Paul Kenny said:- "people have been deprived of an honest living through these illegal tactics which has blighted their families' lives. They have been the victims of injustice over many years by multi- national companies- now seeking to live off public sector contracts. Not a single company has yet been punished nor have any of them paid compensation. GMB is calling on local Councils not to award any new public work to the companies that operated the blacklist till they compensate those they damaged"

If you can help us identify more names on the blacklist call:- Phil Whitehurst, GMB Construction Officer, on:- 07968 338810 or write to him at:- GMB, 22 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HD.