GMB tour against blacklisting

Trade union and labour movement news

GMB tour against blacklisting

From a GMB press release, 4.3.15

GMB will hold six further protest demonstrations in the second leg of a national “Crocodile Tears” tour starting in Bristol on 9th March to shame 63 construction industry managers named as blacklisters who have yet to come clean and apologise for their actions. A third leg is planned for later this spring.

The second leg of the tour visits Bristol, Plymouth, Epsom, Cambridge, Derby and Bridgend. There will be a person in a crocodile suit accompanied by union members with flags and banners and slogans “Nuremberg defence on blacklisting won’t wash” and “Blacklisters come clean”. The details for the six dates in the second leg and managers named are below. At some dates there will be a press briefing by authors of a new book to be published next week on blacklisting.

There was hearing in the High Court in London on 13th February 2015 seeking compensation for 122 GMB members blacklisted by Carillion and other construction employers. The claims were served on 27th November 2013. GMB’s claims were joined with a further 449 claims by other unions and parties at a High Court hearing in July 2014.

Talks between GMB and lawyers representing construction employers (Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and VINCI PLC) on a compensation scheme for 3,213 blacklisted workers broke down in June 2014 over the amount of money being put into the scheme by the employers. Employers have unilaterally launched a cut price scheme GMB estimates will cost less than 2% of the combined profits of the eight construction firms.

Blacklisting came to light when in 2009 the ICO seized the Consulting Association (TCA) database of 3,213 construction workers and environmental activists used by 44 companies to vet new recruits and keep out of employment trade union and health and safety activists.

So far 1,724 out of the 3,213 on the list know they are on blacklist. 467 were identified by themselves or by their unions. 570 cases are covered by claims in the High Court. ICO contacted direct a further 1,257 and of these 776 have now been sent a copy of their files. That leaves 1,489 still to trace.

The second leg of the Crocodile Tears tour – at 11 am each day:

  • Bristol, Monday 9th March. David Cochrane and Cullum McAlpine of Sir Robert McAlpine. Sir Robert McAlpine is mentioned 151 times in the blacklist files. Protest at Sir Robert McAlpine, 100 Park Avenue, Aztec West, Bristol BS32 4TT.
  • Plymouth, Tuesday 10th March. Danny O’Sullivan, Chairman of the Consulting Association 2000-2001 and Kier’s main contact with the Consulting Association. Kier is recorded as providing information to TCA, approximately 232 times. Protest at Kier: 27-37 Martin Street, Plymouth PL1 3NE
  • Epsom, Wednesday 11th March. Gayle Burton, Costain – Costain has 313 mentions within the blacklist files, 162 of these with the initials GB (Gayle Burton) next to them. Protest at Epsom Downs race course, Surrey KT18 5LQ
  • Cambridge, Thursday 12th March. Gordon Mills, the Detective Chief Inspector with the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU) who spoke at a Woodstock meeting in November 2008 to a select group of blacklisting companies. Protest at Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT
  • Derby, Friday 13th March. Ron Barron, the Human Resources manager when working at CB&I which has 48 mentions in the blacklist files. Protest at CB&I: Stores Road, Derby, DE21 4BG
  • Bridgend, Thursday 26th March. Stephen Quant, the Human Resources director of Skanska and chairman of the Consulting Association from 2002-2003 and John Dickinson the Industrial Relations Manager at Skanska. This company has 236 mentions in the blacklist files. Protest at Skanska: 31 Old Field Road, Pencoed, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan CF35 5LJ

Justin Bowden, GMB national officer said: “These HR managers might have thought they had got away scot-free, so shedding crocodile tears now for the systematic blacklisting of 3,213 building workers and environmentalists won’t wash, neither will the Nuremberg Defence of ‘just following superior orders’.

“These so-called HR professionals who ran the blacklists for the construction companies knew exactly what they were doing and they need to either apologise, come clean and say what they did, or get used to accounting in public for the damage they did to those they blacklisted and their families, especially with the public inquiry Labour has pledged after the next election.

“Just as the construction companies who paid their wages are being called to account in parliament, the courts and the media, every single one of these secret blacklisters will have their role dissected in public.”

  • Contact: Justin Bowden on 07710 631351 or Maria Ludkin 07956 632 657 or GMB press office at 07921 289880 or 07974 251 823
  • For information on High Court action contact Leigh Day: David Standard 07540 332717 or Michael Newman 0795 223 9358 or Chris Benson on 07795425649.
  • For people to identify more names on the blacklist call please call Phil Read at GMB on 07840 897997 or email him [email protected]
  • Contact Dave Smith 07882 579 452 re Blacklist Support Group