Could you have been blacklisted?

It was revealed today that a company, The Consulting Association, held and developed data on construction workers, including personal information, marital status, employment history, and trade union membership and activity. Details on more than 3,200 persons were held in the database, many of them could be UCATT members, who due to the blacklist were barred from employment. The company is now facing prosecution by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Over 40 construction companies, including the majority of major UK construction firms, bought the data from the firm before employing new workers.

Companies investigating about workers before employment include Balfour Beatty, Bam Nuttall, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Morgan Ashurst, Shepherd, Robert McAlpine, Skanska and many others. For the full list of companies, click here.

If you are concerned you could have been on the blacklist by The Consulting Association  you need to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

You can call the ICO Helpline on 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 545 745. The Helpline will be able to answer the enquiries only from Monday, 16 March 2009, 9.00am.

You will need to provide your name, date of birth and National Insurance number.

UCATT has been outraged about the finding and is demanding immediate Government action to outlaw blacklisting. Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “UCATT members know from bitter experience of being refused work that blacklisting exists in construction. However the extent of the practice and the fact that most of the major companies in construction are involved in the practice is truly shocking. It is outrageous that construction workers have been barred from jobs simply for being trade unionists.”

UCATT will shortly be sending a letter to all of its members providing further details and assistance.

For more information please also see the coverage on the Guardian and BBC websites.