Unite calls on the government to act immediately bring in regulations to deal with blacklisting

Friday, 6 March 2009 12:00 AM

Unite, Britain's biggest union, is urging the Government to act immediately bring in regulations to deal with blacklisting. The union claims there is already a law in place but it has not been introduced because BERR had claimed there was no evidence that blacklisting was taking place.

Unite's joint general secretary Derek Simpson said:

We now have irrefutable evidence that blacklisting exists. The government should act immediately to bring in regulations to deal with blacklisting. It was not done earlier because BERR claimed there was no evidence it was going on. Unite demanded legislation more than 5 years ago, but the government resisted following lobbying by the CBI and EEF.

The regulations would make it a criminal offence to compile lists which contain details of members of trade unions or persons who have taken part in the activities of trade unions, with a view to being used by employers or employment agencies for the purposes of discrimination, in relation to recruitment or in relation to the treatment of workers.

Unite union will be alerting its activists of possible claims under Trade Union & Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 S137. Possible claims may be taken against employers based on the refusal of employment on grounds related to trade union membership if the individuals can evidence that they were refused work by companies on the list, and were listed as trade union activists on the list.

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

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