Firms blacklisted union members, claims Labour

Labour is to call for an investigation into allegations that firms involved in major construction projects, including the Olympics and Crossrail, blacklisted workers.

The party said secret files on thousands of workers in the construction sector resulted in workers being denied employment after raising legitimate health and safety concerns or exercising their human right to belong to a trade union.

Unions have said that more than 40 of the UK’s largest construction firms used a blacklist.

Many workers have no idea they were included on the blacklist, which was uncovered by the Information Commissioner’s 
Office (ICO) in a raid in 2009.

In a Commons debate next week, shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna will call for the Information Commissioner to adopt a proactive process for informing individual victims of blacklisting so that they can seek compensation.

Labour’s motion asks the government to examine whether further changes are needed to ensure that effective sanctions are in place to tackle and prevent blacklisting.