Blacklists 'will be outlawed'

The Government has pledged to put an end to blacklisting in the construction industry.

Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party, told the House of Commons today (Thursday) that the Government would be working with the Information Commissioner and Ucatt to ensure that these "scurrilous activities" are ended. She was replying to a Parliamentary question from Mick Clapham, the Ucatt-sponsored MP.

Mick Clapham has tabled an Early Day Motion demanding that the laws on blacklisting, which are already in place, should be implemented immediately. The 1999 Employment Relations Act included provisions to make blacklisting illegal. But these provisions have never been enacted into law.

Over 70 MPs have already signed the Early Day Motion.

Alan Ritchie, Ucatt general secretary, said: "I am pleased that the Government is committed to outlawing blacklists. It will be the first step in the fight for justice for our members who have been discriminated against and denied work purely because of their trade union activities."

Following the recent Information Commissioner report that more than 40 firms face legal action for allegedly buying personal data about thousands of site workers, Ucatt is claiming that health and safety representatives may have been a particular target of blacklisting. The union says many safety representtives have reported being laid off or finding it difficult to secure work after highlighting unsafe sites and dangerous work practices.