Monthly Archives: August 2009
Britain: Electricians protest against blacklist
Blacklist Support Group
PRESS RELEASE: Electricians picket against the blacklist
On the 27th, August 2009; the Greater Manchester ‘Campaign against the Blacklist’ is organising a protest picket on the Rock Project in Bury, Lancashire,
Britain: Jail threat vital to deter union blacklists
Employers and consultants who blacklist trade unionists should face the full weight of the criminal law including the ultimate sanction of imprisonment, according to Thompsons Solicitors which acts for the majority of British unions.
Blacklisted workers demand ’strongest legislation’
from the Blacklist Support Group:
The Blacklist Support Group (a network of building workers blacklisted in the Consulting Association scandal) has filed a submission to the consultation process for the proposed new Blacklisting Regulations.
The full consultation closes on Tues 18th August (it is being fast-tracked, as the Regulations have been “on the books” since 1999 but were never turned into [...]
All fired up
When a private investigator was fined £5,000 for running an illegal blacklist of over 3,000 construction workers, the real villains escaped justice. The construction industry’s major names had bankrolled and directed The Consulting Association, which in turn told them to steer clear of union activists – particularly those like Dave Smith who had made a [...]
Unions call for tougher blacklist action
Unions have called for action against unpunished blacklist users after the Information Commissioner’s Office served enforcement notices on only 14 of the subscribers to a covert blacklisting operation. The regulator said it could not take action against other 30 contractors found to have received invoices from The Consulting Association as it did not find enough [...]
Who needs a blacklist blog?
When the Information Commissioner discovered a Droitwich company held a blacklist on over 3,000 construction workers, it acted promptly.
The Consulting Association was shut down, key figure Ian Kerr was prosecuted and fined £5,000, workers who believed they had been blacklisted could apply to receive their files and the government promised a new law.
Two other things [...]
Britain: Workers unite against construction blacklist
A new support group for blacklisted construction workers has pledged to continue its campaign against the practice. Dave Smith, 44, who is part of the new Blacklist Support Group said: “Our agenda now is to keep this issue live, to make sure that big companies are not allowed to flout the law.”
He added: “Building workers [...]
Britain: Construction firms “owned” blacklister
The Consulting Association’s blacklisting operation, shutdown in February by the Information Commissioner for breaches of the Data Protection Act, was more organised than previously thought, according to confidential internal documents. Its constitution shows that it was “collectively” owned by the companies which paid an annual £3,000 subscription. Private investigator Ian Kerr ran the database. He was fined [...]
Britain: Major construction firms face deluge of blacklisting scandal legal cases
Statement from the Blacklist Support Group
Major construction firms face deluge of blacklisting scandal legal cases
The Blacklist Support Group (a cross-union network representing blacklisted workers) issued a statement: “fullying supporting the actions of the Information Commissioner for today launching legal proceedings against 14 of the UK’s leading construction companies because of their involvement in illegal blacklisting of [...]
Blacklist protest at O’Rourke site