Unite boss calls for 鈥榝ull disclosure鈥� and likens practice to a 鈥榣ow budget spy film script鈥�

Electricians protest at Blackfriars Station

The culture of blacklisting revealed by files seized by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)  reads like 鈥渁 low budget spy film script鈥�, Unite鈥檚  assistant general secretary told the TUC Congress in Brighton yesterday.

Gail Cartmail called on unions to support a day of action to help expose the 鈥渄isgrace鈥� of blacklisting.

Last week, Cartmail that she believes that Balfour Beatty Engineering Services and its head of HR, Gerry Harvey, continue to be involved in blacklisting - a claim strongly denied by the firm.

Cartmail showed delegates a packet of unredacted files that had come into the union鈥檚 possession from the blacklisting organisation, The Consultancy Association, now held by the ICO following its seizure in 2008.

She said: 鈥淭hese are just a handful of files, but each name is a person 鈥� a family 鈥� a life ruined.

鈥淭he contents read like a low budget spy film script, using codes and cross references. We had to write to the members named to tell them they are blacklisted 鈥� this cannot be right. We want full disclosure.鈥�

 

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