GMB Magazine GMB25 Candid Summer 2016 | Page 12

VICTORIES

FOR GMB

r members
Good news fo

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GMB wins £5.34 million in compensation for
members blacklisted by construction firms

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WHAT IS BLACKLISTING?

firms. The Consulting Association stored files
on thousands of workers and would report
back to management on whether or not the
For many years, throughout the 70s, 80s and
worker's name was on the 'blacklist'.
90s, huge construction firms – including
GMB members were among those
Carillion, Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier, Laing
'blacklisted' and were
O’Rourke, Sir Robert
often denied work
McAlpine, Skanska
not trying
for reasons they
UK and VINCI – had
“My wife thought I was rk, and I did
could not
access to secret files
hard enough to get wo ing wrong.
understand. There
on building industry
not know what I was do o jobs
was no way of
workers. These files
She also had to work tw r heads
knowing that you
were held without
to make sure we kept ou it very
were on this list or
the workers'
above water, and I foundt provide
what it said about
knowledge and were
upsetting that I could no
family.”
you. Many GMB
consulted when
enough money for my
members suffered
construction
GMB Witness D
simply because
companies hired
they had been
workers.
identified as belonging to a union, were
In many cases, industry managers would
environmental activists or, in some cases,
turn to an organisation called the Consulting
had stood up to their employer about poor
Association and ask for information on
working practices.
workers who had applied for jobs with their

CROCODILE TEARS
GMB’s campaign to shame
the blacklisters last year.

HOW DID BLACKLISTING
COME TO LIGHT?
In 2009, the Information Commissioner’s
Office (ICO) seized a database from the
Consulting Association. This contained 3,213
names of construction industry workers, and
had been used by 44 companies to vet both
new recruits and keep trade union and health
and safety activists out of the building and
construction industry.
GMB forced the ICO to reveal information
about workers named on the blacklist so that
it could trace its members and fight for
compensation. This fight has been ongoing
for seven years and GMB vowed to continue
until the companies involved took full
responsibility for their actions and ensure that
the companies were held accountable to
avoid this happening again.

©iStock.com

ince 2009, GMB has been fighting
for compensation for members
affected by the construction
industry blacklisting scandal and
to hold those companies responsible
accountable so that it cannot happen again.
In April 2016, GMB won a huge victory for
those who had lost their jobs, livelihoods and
professions, due to the illegal practice of
blacklisting building workers, because they
stood up for their rights or simply didn't agree
with management decisions.
The High Court in London decided that 116
GMB members had been unfairly blacklisted
by the construction industry and ordered the
companies responsible for this illegal practice
to pay compensation to those workers –
totalling over £5 million. The companies will
also have to pay all legal costs.
This is a significant victory for GMB and
union members everywhere, with a further
655 workers from other unions receiving
awards totalling almost £75 million.

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