Campaign news

Put an End to the Blacklist

30th April 2015

Put an End to the Blacklist

In Ed Miliband’s speech to Scottish TUC last week he said:
“In days gone by, people didn’t have the right to join a trade union. And were thrown out of work if they campaigned for better rights.

But today, we still have the odious practice of blacklisting. Contractors, companies who block and blacklist those who have a history of trade union activity.

I will not tolerate that in the country I lead. So that is why we will have a full inquiry that is transparent and public into blacklisting.

With one purpose and one purpose alone: To put an end to blacklisting right across the United Kingdom.
And throughout the history of this movement, you have fought most of all for people’s right to work.”

The Blacklist Support Group welcomes Labour’s public commitment to a full inquiry into blacklisting. If Ed Miliband becomes PM in May, they will be knocking on his door asking for a full public inquiry and asking to be involved in drawing up the remit before it begins.

Over the weekend Dave Smith of the Blacklist Support Group addresses the CWU annual conference:
“People in this hall will definitely have been spied on by undercover police… we can now prove without a shadow of a doubt that blacklisting went on in the construction industry.”

He held up a 36 page file held on him – including details on his own family.

A detective chief inspector in the National Extremism Co-ordination Unit briefed Consulting Association members as late as 2008. The CA was the body responsible for compiling the blacklist of active trade unionists.

John McDonnell has been demanding an independent inquiry into blacklisting and the conspiracy between bosses and the police. That is what we need – plus an end to blacklisting.
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