The Construction Workers’ Compensation Scheme set up by eight major contractors that used the services of The Consulting Association has made contact with Ucatt, the GMB and Unite to start detailed talks on how the scheme will operate.
A spokeswoman for the newly-formed scheme said: “We have made initial contact with the unions and will enter into a period of discussion. The speed and progress of the scheme will be governed by those discussions, but clearly everyone would like to get the fund opened up to applicants as soon as possible.
"For those who have owned up, the next stage will be to clean up: this must include a new and agreed code of practice for the construction industry covering how they employ people alongside their plans to ensure the industry is cleansed of those so-called ‘professionals’ who ran the blacklist."
Justin Bowden, GMB
“We have engaged with the GMB, Ucatt and Unite and have spoken to MPs that have an interest in this, and we will probably be speaking to the Blacklist Support Group in the near future. The details of how much individuals will receive and how much is available in total are all up for debate.”
The scheme has been set up by Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and Vinci, acting on their own initiative and outside the framework of the UK Contractors Group.
John Taylor, until February of this year the chief executive of conciliation service ACAS, will lead the negotiation process with the unions on behalf of the contractors.
According to the spokeswoman, the initiative took shape “slightly longer than a month ago”.
Recent events have put mounting pressure on the contractors involved to respond to the anti-blacklisting campaign:
- In September, the Welsh Government issued guidance to public sector bodies on blocking companies that engaged in blacklisting from bidding for contracts;
- The GMB published more details from the files seized from the TCA by the Information Commissioners Office and a list of 29 local authorities that were considering bans on blacklisting contractors;
- A further round of compensation claims raised on behalf of GMB members, naming Laing O’Rourke, Costain, and Taylor Woodrow among others is due to be lodged at the High Court this month;
- Carillion was barred from exhibiting at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton.
The unions have welcomed the establishment of the fund, but have confirmed that they will continue to progress legal claims for compensation in the High Court, and repeated calls for a full public inquiry into the scandal.
In a statement, Justin Bowden, GMB national officer, said: “This owning up by these companies is an important step in admitting they engaged in a terrible abuse of the civil rights of thousands of UK workers.
“The next step is for the firms to clean up and pay up. This remains our demand on the construction industry.
“After years of lies and denials, today some of the blacklisters have finally owned up and admitted they did blacklist and did abuse the basic civil rights of thousands of ordinary people. Their admission brushes aside the fig leaf other companies (like Carillion) have tried to hide behind.
“For those who have owned up, the next stage will be to clean up: this must include a new and agreed code of practice for the construction industry covering how they employ people alongside their plans to ensure the industry is cleansed of those so-called ‘professionals’ who ran the blacklist.”
“The final part is ‘pay up’ and the victims and their families will either be fairly compensated, including the offer of jobs, or GMB will ensure justice for its members through the High Court.”
The GMB is also urging individuals who think they could possibly have been blacklisted to come forward, estimating that less than 15% of the 3,214 workers on the list know they were included.
