Union warns on blacklisting

In the wake of the Scottish Affairs Committee’s recent second report on blacklisting, general union Unite has warned that the government has failed to learn the lessons of the blacklisting scandal.

This follows the government’s rejection of a proposal made by the committee’s report Blacklisting in employment: addressing crimes of the past; moving towards best practice, published in March.

The report made a number of recommendations, including the promotion of direct employment in the construction industry because agency workers don’t have the same level of employment rights protection, including protection against blacklisting. However, the government has rejected this proposal.

Other recommendations made by the report include requiring contractors to complete a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) before tendering for public work, including asking a contractor about any history of blacklisting and details of any remedial steps by the contractor to “self-clean”.

Assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said there continued to be a need for a public enquiry into blacklisting and the activities of major construction employers “who still to this day restrict trade union activities in major construction sites, leading to poor practices, health and safety risks and increased fatalities”.

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmscotaf/543/54302.htm

www.unitetheunion.org/news/government-has-not-learnt-the-lessons-of-the-blacklisting-scandals/