Fight against blacklisting in Liverpool


Jimmy Tyson, Liverpool Socialist Party

The construction of the new Royal Liverpool hospital is being undertaken by the blacklist using company Carillion. At the start of the contract Carillion gave reassurances that there would be direct employment, no use of agencies, nationally recognised rates of pay and 60% local labour. Carillion have broken all of these agreements.

A protest took place on 4 September. At 6am over a hundred trade unionists turned up leafleting workers as they arrived for work.

We blocked the road in and out of Liverpool city centre for 3 hours; the only vehicles allowed through were doctors and nurses who work at the hospital. Police arrived at the scene and redirected traffic away from the blockade.

This was an effective protest and I’m pleased to say this is the first of many against blacklisters Carillion and Liverpool city council for allowing the exploitation of hundreds of construction workers on this site. Hopefully site workers were encouraged seeing what can be achieved when workers get organised.