Bricklayer wins Balfour blacklist compensation hearing

A blacklisted bricklayer has won the first round in his compensation fight against Balfour Beatty.

The London Central Employment Tribunal ruled that Mick Dooley has a valid claim against the contractor. The tribunal listed the case for a four-day hearing in January.

Balfour was one of the biggest names caught up in the construction blacklisting scandal earlier this year.

It was one of 14 firms issued with enforcement notices by the Information Commissioners Office preventing them from using personal data supplied to them by blacklist boss Ian Kerr.

Ian Kerr was fined £5,000 for running The Consulting Association, which provided private information about more than 3,000 construction workers to contractors.

Mick Dooley's claim centres on a Balfour Beatty site at Gloucester Street in Victoria where he worked briefly for the firm in 1993.

Dooley - who ran for election as Ucatt general secretary this year - claims he was let go from the site because of information held about him on the blacklist.

He said: "I was let go from the job and at the time you just think it was one of those things. But other lads I knew were getting starts on the same site and it makes you think.

"Once the blacklisting stuff came out it all made sense and you realise that all those times you were refused a start or suddenly let go from a job could have been because of all sorts of information held on the blacklist.

"Because it was so long ago you think you have no chance in taking a case but the tribunals are taking this blacklisting business very seriously and the initial hearing agreed that the case should be heard despite the timescale."

Dooley is claiming for loss of earnings and his university fees after a lack of opportunities on site forced him to continue with his education.

He said: "I decided to study for a law degree because I couldn't get work on site."

A Balfour Beatty spokeswoman said: "Balfour Beatty does not condone the use of black lists in any circumstances and has taken steps to ensure that none of our companies use such services."