Prime Minister Indicates That Blacklisting Ban Is On Way

Gordon Brown the Prime Minister has indicated that the Government are preparing to ban blacklisting.

When asked at yesterday’s (22 April) Prime Minister’s Question Time by Michael Clapham the chair of the UCATT group of MPs, whether it was now time to bring in regulations to prohibit blacklisting. Mr Brown, said: “I am, as are the whole Government, very concerned by the evidence uncovered by the Information Commissioner about the re-emergence of blacklisting in the construction industry. In 1999, we established a power to introduce regulations to outlaw blacklisting, and we also consulted on draft regulations in 2003. Evidence at that time suggested that blacklisting had been eradicated but, given that there is new evidence that that is not the case, we are looking urgently at what we can do. We will assess whether the 2003 regulations, amended as necessary, should now be introduced to the House of Commons.”

In response to Mr Brown’s statement Alan Ritchie General Secretary of construction union UCATT, said: “I am pleased that the Prime Minister has clearly indicated that blacklisting will be banned. It is monstrous that in the 21^st century the majority of major construction companies were engaged in blacklisting. They were content to deny work simply because of a persons union membership or because they had tried to improve site safety.”

In March the Information Commissioner revealed that the Consulting Association had been found to be operating a blacklist of over 3,000 construction workers. Over 40 major construction companies were accessing the blacklisting information.

In 1999 the Fairness at Work Act was passed which included provisions for blacklisting to be outlawed. However following a consultation in 2003 the specific regulations were never enacted after the Government decided there was no evidence that blacklisting still occurred.

Meanwhile Ian McCartney the former minister, who in 1999 was responsible for introducing the Fairness at Work Act, has written to UCATT expressing his full support for the regulations to outlaw blacklisting being enacted at the earliest opportunity.

Mr McCartney, said: “The Government now has to hand the evidence required to prove the existence of blacklisting in the construction industry and that the commitment to enact the relevant sections of the 1999 Act should be implemented without delay.”

Mr Ritchie, added: “Ian McCartney intervention in the campaign to end blacklisting is very helpful. It is clear that he believes that if the Government had been aware of the activities of the Consulting Association in 2003, then blacklisting would already be banned. It is essential that Mr McCartney’s successors at BERR, move swiftly to outlaw blacklisting once and for all.”

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