I've a piece in Union News revealing that blacklisted construction workers are putting together a complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. They want an investigation into alleged collusions between the police and the industry blacklisters. It follows a letter from Home Secretary Theresa May (right) to John McDonnell MP refusing a public inquiry and suggesting a police complaint instead.
You can read the full article here.
Meanwhile Tribune carries an article on how an employment tribunal has criticised the law which offers little protection to agency workers. The judgement was made in a case brought by blacklisted engineer Dave Smith.
Employment judges have criticised the lack of legal protection for an engineer blacklisted because of his trade union activities. Dave Smith, 46, took construction giant Carillion to an employment tribunal after he discovered his name was on the secret blacklist.
Carillion admitted that two of its subsidiaries had used the blacklisting services of the now defunct – and discredited – Consulting Association. But it argued it was not liable because Mr Smith was employed by an agency.
This argument was accepted by the tribunal at a hearing in January. But now, in a damning full judgement just released, the tribunal chair explained why they had to disallow Mr Smith’s claim.
You can read the full story here.
And finally, a quote from the Blacklist Support Group re the IPCC complaint arrived after I'd already filed, but is below:
"The blacklisting scandal is a festering sore in the construcion industry. The directors and senior managers of the supposedly most respectable blue chip firms have been involved in the sysematic breach of human rights for decades. Now we have the evidence that the state security services and the police are also involved.
"We demand answers:
How has confidential persoanl sensative information and operational surveillance material collected by the state ended up on an illegal blacklist operated by private companies?
Which officers were involved in the collusion?
What sanctions will they suffer for this abuse of power?
"Leverson has shone a light on the hidden links between the media and the police but we have been denied a similar investigation. Theresa May has forced us to go down the IPCC route but we will continue to demand a full public inquiry until we discover the truth about the web of the corruption between the state and big business."
ENDS