Blacklisting
The practice of blacklisting has been used in many industries, including construction, for years, resulting in hundreds of active trade union members being excluded from employment. In early 2009, a blacklist containing details of 3,213 construction workers was found at the offices of the Consulting Association. The blacklist had been used by more than 40 construction companies in the UK.
Over the years, Unite has fought to expose these organisations, seek justice for wronged workers and strived to stamp out the illegal practice of blacklisting across all sectors.
Up until mid-2016, Unite was at the heart of a five year battle to secure justice for hundreds of workers who had been blacklisted by some of the UK’s biggest construction companies since the early 90s.
Unite was instrumental in unearthing evidence of the widespread culture of blacklisting at major UK construction companies and in bringing those companies to book at the High Court in May 2016. This included shedding light on the Consulting Association, a group which nominally disbanded in 1993 but was found to have been operating an illegal blacklist for decades since.
The unique combination of expert legal representation and campaigning clout led Unite Legal Services to secure more than £10 million in compensation on behalf of members, as the legal team fought longer and harder than other claimant groups involved in the five year battle for justice.
Our campaign did not end at the gates of the High Court. Unite Legal Services will continue to support members affected by blacklisting to secure justice, and bring employers to account by pressing for a full and public inquiry into the full scale of blacklisting in the construction industry and the collusion between the police and the Consulting Association.
Unite will continue to show solidarity with the Blacklist Support Group, and the families and communities of blacklisted members in a drive to secure tougher penalties against blacklisters and enshrine in law the right to compensation for anyone whose career has been impacted by illegal blacklisting.
Click here to watch our members talk about how they’ve been affected by the blacklisting scandal.
If you have been affected by the blacklisting scandal, call our legal experts on 0800 709 007.