Protesters gather outside court ahead of blacklister sentencing

Construction union UCATT is holding a demonstration outside Knutsford Crown Court, Cheshire, this morning (Thursday), where construction blacklister Ian Kerr of the Consulting Association is due to be sentenced.

In March, Kerr's company The Consulting Association admitting to operating a secret blacklist, containing the names and details of over 3,000 construction workers. Over 40 major construction companies used its services to blacklist workers.

Kerr was charged with data protection offences as he was not registered to hold such information.

The case was transferred to a Crown Court from Macclesfield Magistrates Court, after Kerr failed to appear at the original hearing in May.

He could face an unlimited fine at today's sentencing.

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: “Ian Kerr deserves the maximum possible fine; he ruined people’s lives. It is disappointing that he is not facing a custodial sentence. If it is proved that others were involved they must also face the full weight of the law”.