|
2
December 2009
The Government today released
results of the consultation into the blacklisting of trade
union members and confirmed that new regulations will be introduced
to outlaw the practice. The move has been welcomed by UCATT
and Unite the Union, whose members had been affected by blacklisting.
Despite consultations
with a number of trade unions and employment law specialists,
calls for supplying, compiling or using information on a blacklist,
to be made a criminal offence and not merely a civil offence
were ignored by the government. As the law stands blacklisters
can only be prosecuted under data protection offences and
will therefore incur a notional fine rather than a criminal
conviction.
In addition the government
is still refusing to establish a fund to compensate those
acknowledged to be on the blacklist.
Alan Ritchie, General
Secretary of UCATT said “UCATT will be working with members
of Parliament in order to ensure that when the blacklisting
regulations are finally introduced they are as robust as possible.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More info:
Read
the government response to the public consultation
Buy the IER and UCATT book on 'Ruined
Lives: Blacklisting in the UK Construction Industry'
Read 'Blacklisting
of union members to be made illegal' 28 May 2009
Read
our article 'Blacklisting Disgrace' 9 March 2009'
Read
the Guardian article 'Blacklisting of union members by companies
to be outlawed'
Read
the UCATT Press Release 'UCATT Response To Government Announcement
On Blacklisting'
Read
the Whitehall article 'Mandelson pledges action over union
blacklisting'
|
