Member Article

Union calls for Leveson style enquiry into murky blacklisting practices

Trade union GMB has called for a “Leveson style” enquiry into blacklisting of construction workers, following a report in the Guardian newspaper this week.

The paper reported that Peter Francis, the whistleblower who revealed police spied on supporters of the Stephen Lawrence family, also said he personally collected intelligence that later appeared in the unlawful files of blacklisting agency, The Consulting Association.

Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said: “There is a clear need for a Leveson style enquiry into blacklisting and the involvement of state forces in it.

“This also points to the need for it to become a criminal offence for anyone to interfere with the civil rights of any worker to be represented by a trade union in their workplace. This is because under existing laws the employers and the police systematically interfered with these civil rights for decades with impunity.”

Blacklisting came to light in 2009 when the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) seized a database of over 3,000 construction workers and environmental activists used by construction firms to vet new recruits.

GMB lodged claims in the High Court in June seeking compensation for GMB members blacklisted by construction employers.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .