Workers demand action on blacklisting

Unite the union held a very successful protest outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 2nd May. About 50 activists from around Scotland, including blacklisted workers and other trade unionists gathered at the parliament in a vibrant, colourful and vocal expression of their disgust at this breach of a workers human right to work.

Unite point out that blacklisting is now against the law and protesters chanted ‘blacklisting is a crime, blacklisting bosses should do time”, as they demonstrated their determination to fight on this issue. Unite claim there is evidence that the practice of blacklisting still exists and is being carried out on the current Crossrail project in London.

After the protest outide parliament the activists entered the public gallery of the debating chamber to listen to the debate about blacklisting which was led by Neil Findlay MSP of the Labour Campaign for Socialism group, who is also a member of Unite. It says it all about the abhorrant nature of blacklisting that every MSP who spoke condemned the practice – even Alex Johnstone MSP of the Tories, though he argued that workers should forget the past and move on without grudges so that business can continue to help the economy without disruption. However, Unite and blacklisted workers demand justice!

The SNP refused to commit to the call for the Scottish Parliament to launch its own enquiry into blacklisting, saying it was ‘open minded’ to the suggestion. There was no significant turnout from MSPs for the debate from any party. Labour had a few more MSPs at the beginning but their leader Johann Lamont and other senior figures promptly left after Neil Findlay’s opening speech, clearly showing that they were only attending due to the pressure from their biggest trade union affiliate without really caring for the issue at hand.

This protest was part of Unite’s ongoing leverage campaign that aims to expose and bring pressure on blacklisting companies such as the construction companies BAM, Ferrovial and Kier. Protests and pickets outside the offices and worksites of these companies have taken place over the last couple of weeks and these actions will be escalating over the next few weeks.