CARLO NERI
Blacklist Group Claim to have caught undercover copper on camera!
'UNDERCOVER police officer Carlo Neri', according to the Blacklist Support Group, was caught on camera and 'spied on the RMT union'. Photographic evidence, the Blacklist Group claim, shows that in October 2004 an officer was present at the industrial dispute following the sacking of the prominent union militant Steve Hedley (now elected as Senior Assistant General Secretary of the RMT union) during construction of the Kings Cross terminal for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
If this report is true, and it was indeed Carlo Neri captured on camera by the freelance photographer Andrew Wiard at the RMT picket and just assuming he was not supporting the industrial protest, but was indeed employed as a police spy (allegedly from the Met's disgraced Special Demonstration Squad), then it is yet further evidence of penetration by the police and security services into the trade union affairs of English activists.
The photographs sent to Northern Voices by the Blacklist Support Group show the alleged 'police spy' lurking behind an RMT banner with the slogan ‘Reinstate Steve Hedley’ while handing out leaflets to construction workers who had walked out in support of the victimised union activist. Also present at the picket line were RMT activists Alex Gordon and Sarah Friday plus GMB construction organisers Kelly Rogers and Steve Kelly (who was subsequently banned from the project controlled by the blacklist companies Costain, O'Rourke and Emcor).
Photographs only available for use in the media upon direct email request to Andrew Wiard andrew@reportphotos.com
Steve Hedley commented: 'I am appalled that a secret police spy thought that it was justified to turn up on a peaceful RMT picket line in order to gather information. I had earlier housed this person rent free as he claimed he was being made homeless and feel shocked that taxpayers money could be used like this to betray the trust of people engaged in completely legitimate industrial action. We heard a lot growing up about police states in other countries whilst it turns out our state was doing exactly the same thing here.'
The photographs were rediscovered by Dave Smith while researching for the updated version of the book Blacklisted and were first made public at the GMB conference in Bournemouth on Sunday evening (5th June). Smith commented afterwards: 'We were standing up for workers rights but apparently the British state considered us such a threat, that we were kept under constant surveillance by shady anti-democratic units in the police. This is nothing less than political policing and has no place in a democracy. This took place during the Tony Blair government and I want to know why trade unions were were being spied on under a Labour Home Secretary. David Blunkett has serious questions to answer.'
The Channel Tunnel Rail Link dispute is recorded on Consulting Association blacklist files of Steve Hedley and GMB organiser at the time, Steve Kelly.
Both Steve Hedley and Dave Smith have been granted core participant status in the Pitchford public inquiry into undercover policing.
The photographs were rediscovered by Dave Smith while researching for the updated version of the book Blacklisted and were first made public at the GMB conference in Bournemouth on Sunday evening (5th June). Smith commented afterwards: 'We were standing up for workers rights but apparently the British state considered us such a threat, that we were kept under constant surveillance by shady anti-democratic units in the police. This is nothing less than political policing and has no place in a democracy. This took place during the Tony Blair government and I want to know why trade unions were were being spied on under a Labour Home Secretary. David Blunkett has serious questions to answer.'
The Channel Tunnel Rail Link dispute is recorded on Consulting Association blacklist files of Steve Hedley and GMB organiser at the time, Steve Kelly.
Both Steve Hedley and Dave Smith have been granted core participant status in the Pitchford public inquiry into undercover policing.
Information from Blacklist Support Group
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LAST November, Northern Voices was one of several publications to receive a solicitor letter from a firm of solicitors that has been known to do work for the Police Federation. The allegation was that NV had defamed a former police officer who had more recently done work as a university lecturer. It seems that the officer in 2008 had given a power-point presentation on policing at pub down South to a group of individuals, who it later turn out were affiliated to the Consulting Association. Ian Kerr was among those present taking notes: Mr. Kerr, who has since died, is famous as the administrator of a blacklist for the Consulting Association, and he later pleaded guilt to running an illegal data base. Kerr was exposed as such by the Information Commissioner in 2009. We therefore caution our readers because the officer who gave this power point presentation to the Consulting Association has since claimed that he didn't know that he was addressing the Consulting Association, and that he'd never heard of either Ian Kerr or the body now known to be the Consulting Association. He was just filling in for a colleague we are told, and is innocent of any complicity with the Consulting Association, Ian Kerr or blacklisting in the British build trade. We only mention this now, in case it later turns out that Carlo Neri, if that is what he is called, was just out for a stroll and accidentally got caught up in the trade union protest of the RMT.
LAST November, Northern Voices was one of several publications to receive a solicitor letter from a firm of solicitors that has been known to do work for the Police Federation. The allegation was that NV had defamed a former police officer who had more recently done work as a university lecturer. It seems that the officer in 2008 had given a power-point presentation on policing at pub down South to a group of individuals, who it later turn out were affiliated to the Consulting Association. Ian Kerr was among those present taking notes: Mr. Kerr, who has since died, is famous as the administrator of a blacklist for the Consulting Association, and he later pleaded guilt to running an illegal data base. Kerr was exposed as such by the Information Commissioner in 2009. We therefore caution our readers because the officer who gave this power point presentation to the Consulting Association has since claimed that he didn't know that he was addressing the Consulting Association, and that he'd never heard of either Ian Kerr or the body now known to be the Consulting Association. He was just filling in for a colleague we are told, and is innocent of any complicity with the Consulting Association, Ian Kerr or blacklisting in the British build trade. We only mention this now, in case it later turns out that Carlo Neri, if that is what he is called, was just out for a stroll and accidentally got caught up in the trade union protest of the RMT.
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