European developments in the anti-blacklisting campaign

At European level, in December 2011, two Labour MEPs secured an amendment to the European Parliament resolution on the mid-term review of the European strategy for health and safety at work.

The revised resolution includes a reference to blacklisting. It calls on the European Commission to propose a directive that protects individuals who raise legitimate health and safety concerns, and that puts an end to the blacklisting of these workers by ensuring that “such a violation of a fundamental labour right is prevented by means of effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions”.

In 2011, UCATT brought a test blacklisting case at the European Court of Human Rights. The case brought on behalf of one of their members is based on the failure of successive governments to outlaw blacklisting which breaches a worker’s human rights, the case is still going through this long legal process.