Skanska Undertakes To Change Its Ways

Construction union UCATT have won a commitment from construction company Skanska that no form of blacklisting will be tolerated on their sites and that an investigation will be launched into their past conduct.

In March it was revealed following an investigation by the Information Commissioner, that a company called the Consulting Association was operating a construction blacklist. The Consulting Association held information on over 3,000 construction workers. Over 40 major construction companies paid to access the blacklist.

Much of the information on the database contained details of whether workers were members of trade unions and if they had raised health and safety concerns on previous sites. Whistleblowers who reported dangerous sites became vulnerable to being denied future work.

Documents seen by UCATT reveal that in 2008 Skanska spent £28,122.60 on blacklist checks with the Consulting Association plus an annual subscription of £3,000. Each check cost £2.20, meaning that the company made 12,783 (35 a day) checks last year.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, who was on the Consulting Association’s blacklist, said: “The level of blacklisting that appears to have been undertaken by Skanska is staggering.”

UCATT has also learnt that the blacklisting only took place in one of Skanska’s divisions, Construction Public. This indicates that the blacklisting took place only on Skanska’s public sector projects, many of them funded by the Private Finance Initiative.

Earlier this month Mr Ritchie held a top-level meeting with senior Skanska senior executives. The Skanska executives reasserted that all blacklisting on their sites had ceased and that an internal investigation had been launched into identifying who had authorised the blacklisting.

Mr Ritchie added: “The people responsible should be brought to book. It is right that Skanska are putting their house in order. However, to fully restore the companies image and to reassure its workforce the findings of the companies investigation should be made public.”

Skanska employs only a tiny number of construction workers directly. The vast majority of its workforce is employed through subcontractors and employment agencies.

Mr Ritchie further added: “UCATT are urging all construction workers who are concerned that they may have been denied work through being blacklisted to contact the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner will tell workers whether or not they were blacklisted.”

Ian Kerr who ran the Consulting Association is due to go on trial next week May 27. If as expected he lodges a guilty plea he will be tried in a Magistrates Court where the maximum fine is just £5,000. Mr Kerr’s blacklisting business was raking in over £100,000 per annum.

Mr Ritchie also said: “A fine of £5,000 is a pittance and barely a slap on the wrist. Ian Kerr deliberately wrecked the lives of workers and their families. The case should be sent to a full Crown Court where a much greater punishment can be levelled.”

Last week the Government announced that it would bring in regulations to finally outlaw blacklisting this autumn.

For Further information contact Barckley Sumner on 0780 2329235

To contact the Information Commissioner about blacklisting call 08456-306060