GMB targets Carillion in blacklist protest

GMB members, one dressed as Death, protested at building giant Carillion's stand at the Labour Party conference.

Carillion is just one of more than 40 firms targeted by unions over the blacklisting of workers.

GMB national officer Paul Maloney said: "None of the 3,213 workers blacklisted have had an apology or any compensation from employers who blacklisted health and safety representatives.

"Only 194 have been informed that they were blacklisted and the rest still don't know.

"It is also to highlight the terrible toll of death and injury in the construction sector and to underline the importance of the proper enforcement of health and safety laws to prevent this carnage."

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said that construction privateers could have to pay out £600 million to the 3,200 blacklisted workers.

But so far only 200 people have been told they were blacklisted and none have been compensated.

Mr Kenny said: "For far too long, vested interests have sought to ignore these discriminatory activities. We will campaign to expose these activities and call on politicians to bring social justice to the victims.

"Firms should apologise and compensate victims who have fallen foul of their illegal activities."

GMB is set to go to court for blacklisted workers and wants the firms involved to be barred from public work until they say sorry and pay up.

Construction unions have long complained of employers targeting health and safety reps in a bid to save cash - making it one of Britain's most dangerous industries.

Forty-nine builders have been killed at work in the past year - just two less than the number of British soldiers killed in Aghanistan in the same period.

tonyp@peoples-press.com