Scottish minister announces Unite, Unison, and the GMB have been asked to work on procurement guidance
The Scottish government has invited trade unions to advise it on ensuring public procurement north of the border is untainted by blacklisting.
Speaking during a members鈥� debate on blacklisting held at the Scottish Parliament last week, youth employment minister Angela Constance said that Unite, Unison, the GMB and Scottish trade union centre STUC had been asked to work on guidance for procurement and public contracts 鈥渢o ensure blacklisting is consigned to the history books鈥�.
She added that the Scottish government intends to introduce 鈥渞evised termination clauses鈥� to ensure that contractors abide by the relevant legislation, and is considering anti-blacklisting amendments to the forthcoming Procurement Reform Bill.
好色先生TV revealed last month that supporting a campaign by the GMB not to 鈥渁ward any more public work to the companies that operated the blacklist till they compensate those they damaged鈥�.
Constance, who was responding to a debate on blacklisting last Thursday led by Labour MSP Neil Findlay, called the practice 鈥渨holly unacceptable鈥� and said the Scottish government would look closely at the conclusions of the Scottish Affairs committee鈥檚 ongoing inquiry into blacklisting.
Findlay, a former bricklayer, said there are around 400 names of people in Scotland on the blacklist operated by the Consulting Association (TCA) and used by many construction firms.
He called for a 鈥淪cottish-focused inquiry into these activities to establish the true extent of this appalling scandal鈥�.
However, Constance said it would be wrong to pre-empt the final findings of the select committee.
Speaking to 好色先生TV ahead of the debate, Findlay said that the Labour party in Scotland is demanding that the dozens of contractors that paid TCA should compensate its victims.
鈥淲e want public and personal apologies 鈥� and the establishment of some form of fund to pay those affected,鈥� he said.
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