Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Manchester City Council's policy on blacklisting
AFTER an encounter on the doorstep of the staff entrance to Manchester Town Hall with the leader of Manchester City Council during the protest today against blacklisting, six electricians had a meeting with the Executive Committee of Manchester City Council at Noon. It was agreed that in future there will be more exchanges, but the nature of this will depend on proper protocol and on what decisions are made at the Greater Manchester Contracting Unite Branch when it meets next month. This protest was called purely on the initiative of the Greater Manchester Contracting Branch, mainly at the instigation of the blacklisted electrician Colin Trousdale and with the support of Tameside TUC.
It later came to light that the Manchester City Council carried a motion on the 9th, October 2013 and it was decided as follows that:
'Manchester City Council is deeply concerned by revelations that major companies have been involved in "blacklisting" in order to deny employment to workers who have engaged in trade union activity, such as reporting breaches of health and safety regulations.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that a blacklist of copnstruction workers was maintained by an organisation called The Consulting Association who traded for profit the personal information of over 3,200 workers. This blacklist was used by over 40 companies and included information about workers' personal relationships, trade union activity and employment history.
The use of such blacklists is unacceptable and cannot be condoned, as it has a potential negative impact on the employment rights of Manchester construction workers.
This Council has constructive relationships with trade unions and upholds the right to freedom of association, and we expect all suppliers and partner organisations to do the same. Council calls on the Chief Execfutive to examine existing contracts with any of the companies listed by the ICO and ask for reassurances that the company uses no form of blacklisting to inform their employment decisions.'
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2 comments:
What a pathetic resolution this is from Manchester City Council seeking assurances from their contractors that they don't 'Blacklist'. What do they expect them to say? Yes we do blacklist. The Welsh Government have taken a different tack: all 44construction companies that were linked to the Consulting Association have been designated as 'blacklisters' and banned from obtaining public contracts unless they come clean and pay up. The advice from the Welsh Government is that 'contracting authorities' can exclude firms under the public contract regulations because 'blacklisting' can amount to "grave misconduct". Many of the North West Labour council's like Manchester, Tameside and Salford, are in bed with these blacklisters and the unions with their Labour links, aren't really doing much about it. It is highly unlikely that any of these firms will ever be found guilty by an English court of blacklisting or admit to having blackilisted workers. They'll simply buy their way out of any litigation by dangling pound notes in front of the workers noses and their representatives will say to them, this is the best deal we can get for you lads we recommend you accept the offer. These blacklisters and those councils that work with them, must be named and shamed!
Might I say I take great exception to D.P's comments about workers being influenced by pound notes being dangled . He ought to walk a mile in my shoes before he spouts his crap the prick.
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