Blacklist Support Group update - 6th July 2014 Big developments in the last few days and expected in the next week or so too: 1. Compensation scheme opens and insults blacklisted workers. Friday 4th July - the firms opened up their so-called compensation scheme. Without the support of the trade unions, Blacklist Support Group or any of the legal teams representing us, the blacklisting firms have set up and opened a mis-named compensation scheme. They predict that the vast majority of people will receive £4,000 for their troubles and nothing is put in place to ensure jobs in the future. This is a major human rights scandal that has been exposed in Parliament and even condemned by David Cameron in PMQs but these multinationals and their apologists in the legal and PR professions are trying to present this as justice. In what kind of justice system do the criminals decide what level of compensation the victims should receive? There may even be some blacklisted workers who are forced to accept their insulting offer because of ill health, old age or financial hardship. It is nothing for the firms to be proud of. But make no mistake. For those of us whose working lives have been ruined by these wretches, this is about more than money. This is personal. And we intend to hound these human rights abusers until we get justice. bbc.co.uk/news/business-28155936 morningstaronline.co.uk/a-b108-Blacklisting-construction-firms-try-to-buy-off-victimised-workers-ahead-of-High-Court-hearing union-news.co.uk/2014/07/piss-take-makes-want-puke-blacklist-support-group-reacts-new-compensation-scheme/ ucatt.org.uk/cynical-blacklisters-launch-counterfeit-compensation-scheme gmb.org.uk/newsroom/blacklisting-compensation-not-enough dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2680662/BLACKLISTING-PAYOUTS-INADEQUATE.html Jack Fawbert, blacklisted carpenter and UCATT elected convener steward on Littlebrooke Power station and the Trocadero was sent an email by the compensation scheme. Below is the email he sent in reply: Dear Scheme Administrator This is surely a piss take masquerading as a publicity stunt. £4000 from you criminals for decades of human rights abuses that forced many decent people including myself out of the industry, leading to me suffering years of deprivation to build another career in education, seeing my kids on free school meals and the family nearly splitting up. And for what? For simply representing my fellow workers on a building site as a UCATT shop steward and legally appointed safety rep. It seems to me that the only reason you are opening this scheme now is to deflect publicity away from the High Court trial next Thursday 10th July (which you conveniently forget to mention in your letter). Celebrities were given a full public inquiry and paid up to £300,000 for someone listening to tittle tattle on their phones and you offer £4000. This PR stunt makes no admission of guilt or gives me an apology for what you did to me and my family or indeed to other building workers and their families. You make no offer to provide blacklisted workers with jobs to demonstrate any contrition on your part for the crimes you have committed. On the contrary, what you now do is get employment agencies to do your grubby, dirty work for you, you wretches. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves acting in such a reprehensible manner. But youre not. You even have the brass neck to appoint a judge yourselves to sit in judgement of who deserves what. It beggars belief. For what other crimes do you know of where the criminals decide who is going to sit in judgement of them. And setting a time limit is just another cynical ploy amongst many to try to panic blacklisted workers into accepting your wretched scheme. And, surprise, surprise, there is no mention in your letter about your negotiations with or the response to your grubby little scheme from my trade union UCATT (the reason I was blacklisted in the first place) or the Blacklist Support Group. You know where you can stick your compensation scheme. Jack Fawbert Did you receive a letter or an email from the compensation scheme? BSG have had reports of individuals being contacted who have never contacted the compensation scheme in the past. How did they get our contact details? If the ICO has handed over our current contact details, emails or addresses to the firms this is completely unacceptable. This is like giving criminals the home addresses of their previous victims. What is to stop a brand new blacklist being set up with this same information? A few weeks ago, lawyers for the trade unions were in court to stop this very thing happening. BSG have put in a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner at the ICO. 2. High Court - Blacklisting case Acheson (& others) v Sir Robert McAlpine Limited (& others) On Thursday 10th July, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and VINCI PLC are in the High Court in the case of Acheson (& others) v Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd (& others) for their role in the blacklisting scandal. 4 High Court claims are being heard concurrently - Guney Clark & Ryan solicitors, GMB, UNITE and UCATT - It is expected that the Judge will grant a Group Litigation Order (GLO), equivalent of a class action in the USA. Blacklisting protest at the High Court - Thurs 10th July 9am-10am Thursday 10th July Royal Courts of Justice The Strand London (nearest tube: Holborn or Temple) This is the same day as the local authorities strike - if you are heading to London to join one of the rallies, feel free to pop by and show some solidarity. When the court case is finished, there will be a campaign update held in: Seven Stars pub 53-54 Carey St London WC2A 2JB (immediately behind the High Court) NO JUSTICE - NO PEACE Facebook event: https://facebook/events/409390652536444/?source=1 Steve Acheson, lead claimant in the High Court trial and chairman of the Blacklist Support Group said: Time is running out for the blacklisting multinationals, who over a period of decades have deliberately and systematically set put to ruin our working lives. They think that because they are rich and powerful that they are above the law. But those of us who have seen our families suffer, were never prepared to let this human rights abuse go unaccounted for. Blacklisted workers, journalists, lawyers, politicians and trade unions have fought for over five years but finally these directors are going to have to face the music. We hope the MPs and the QCs put them to the sword. Its less than the wretches deserve. 3. MPs to grill blacklist bosses On Wednesday 16th July - Scottish Affairs Select Committee at Westminster will have the bosses of blacklisting firms plus the lawyers and the spin doctors responsible for the compensation scheme to give evidence, including: Nick Pollard, CEO Balfour Beatty Andrew Ridley-Barker, Managing Director VINCI Construction UK Callum Tuckett, Group Finance & Commercial Director, Laing O’Rourke Richard Slaven, Partner, Pinsent Masons (lawyer responsible for the Blacklist Compensation Scheme) Richard Jukes, Grayling (TBC) As the Select Committee has previously published a report supported by MPs from all political parties calling on the firms to pay compensation but only AFTER THEY GAINED AGREEMENT FROM THE UNIONS & BLACKLISTED WORKERS, this should be a very interesting evidence session. Any blacklisted worker who wishes to submit your own witness statement to the Select Committee inquiry about how the blacklist has impacted on your life, can do so using the form on this link: parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/scottish-affairs-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/blacklisting-in-employment/commons-written-submission-form/ 4. Public Inquiry All political parties are currently in the process of drawing up the final details of their General Election manifesto. Blacklisted workers are calling for a fully independent public inquiry to expose the full sordid details of the conspiracy orchestrated by big business in collusion with undercover police and the state. Only a public inquiry will suffice. There have been muted calls in some political parties for an inquiry into blacklisting. This could be as little as a senior civil servant within BIS carrying out an internal investigation to be given to the Secretary of State. THAT WOULD NOT BE GOOD ENOUGH. We demand a fully independent public inquiry that can compel witnesses give evidence under oath with a wide enough remit to investigate the role of all the agencies involved. Now is the time to be putting on the pressure. 5. 10th July strike, Tolpuddle & Durham Miners Gala Blacklisted workers will be in participating in all the trade union events above. If you are organising a rally and require a blacklisted worker to speak, please conatct the BSG to arrange someone from your local area.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:27:02 +0000
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