Crossrail faces tribunal over blacklisting

Unite rep Frank Morris claims he was dismissed in September after raising concerns about safety on the project.

Mr Morris claims that his dismissal was linked to an illegal construction industry blacklist and the ultimate decisions about his removal from site were taken by the heads of human resources at both Bam Ferrovial Kier (BFK), which is bringing the claim against, and Crossrail.

The Consulting Association kept an illegal database of thousands of construction workers. In November, its chief executive Ian Kerr told the Scottish affairs select committee investigation into blacklisting that he had discussions with Crossrail.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "Unite does not subscribe to the view that blacklisting in the construction industry ended when the existence of the shady blacklister the Consulting Association was finally uncovered back in 2009.

"There is significant evidence that blacklisting continued, even on Crossrail - Britain's most high-profile construction project."

The union has called blacklisting "a national scandal.

"Too many construction workers have had their lives ruined just because they had concerns over health and safety in one of Britain's most dangerous industries or just because they belonged to a trade union."

A spokesperson for Crossrail said the project "is not aware of, and has seen no evidence of, blacklisting of any kind," adding: " If anyone has any substantive evidence then we wish to see it.

"Mr Morris is wrong to claim that he was laid off or removed from a Crossrail site for raising safety concerns.

"Mr Morris was employed by EIS Electrical not Crossrail Limited.

"A contract between our western tunnels contractor BFK and EIS Electrical ended in September 2012 as the work EIS were carrying out to commission the first two tunnel boring machines at Westbourne Park had been completed with tunnelling now underway.

"EIS Electrical subsequently made 28 workers redundant.

"Mr Morris has recently commenced employment tribunal proceedings which, if pursued, will allow the facts to be proven in court."