Protest lobby against building trade blacklist

A protest lobby against the blacklist in the British building trade is being called by the Greater Manchester Campaign Against the Blacklist and the London based, Blacklist Support Group:  it will be held outside the Employment Tribunal at Alexandra House, opposite Parsonage Gardens in Central Manchester near Deansgate.  This protest lobby coincides with the start of the Case Management Meeting to deal with a large number of tribunal claims by building workers from all over Britain: solicitors for members of Unite the Union; Ucatt and members of no trade union, will be presenting their arguments on how their cases for justice should proceed against some of the biggest construction companies in the land.

OUR PROTEST WILL START AT 9AM ON TUESDAY THE 24th, NOVEMBER OUTSIDE THE EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL IN PARSONAGE GARDENS:  Trade Union banners welcome
 
Brian Bamford, former electrician, Secretary of Bury Unite the Union and Secretary of Tameside Trade Union Council, states:

'I believe that the blacklist is the unacceptable face of the British building trade.  It is like something out of a 19th century novel by Charles Dickens sent to haunt us.  It is a repugnant phenomena; in the same way as slopping-out was a repugnant activity in our jails until recently.  It ruins lives and domestic harmony, and it persecutes people for their honestly held political beliefs and trade union activities.  It has no place in a decent society in the 20th Century.'

This whole matter of blacklist is now the subject of an Early Day Motion promoted by Michael Clapham MP, and now Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, is considering legislation to deal with blacklisting.


For more information contact either Brian Bamford (Secretary of Bury Unite the Union NW 6/353 Branch) on 01706  861793 or Colin Trousdale (EPIU Greater Manchester Contracting Branch - Unite NW 6/1400) on 07792  358697.