Compensation scheme an ‘act of bad faith’

The Construction Workers Compensation Scheme, launched by eight of the 30 companies involved in blacklisting, has been criticised as an “act of bad faith” by the Scottish Affairs Committee (SAC). The criticism has been issued as part of the SAC’s final report, Blacklisting in employment, and concludes the committee’s inquiry into blacklisting in Scotland which began in 2012.

The report says it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the publicity around the launch, with its implication that the scheme was being undertaken in agreement with the trade unions, was a deliberate attempt to mislead.

The SAC found that specific weaknesses of the scheme include its launch without the agreement of the unions; the low levels of compensation offered; those participating in High Court action against blacklisting being ineligible; and the lack of positive measures to upskill and re-employ blacklisted victims.

SAC chair Ian Davidson said that a voluntary code of conduct to eliminate blacklisting would not be enough, given “the denial and duplicitous practices ... on the part of many of the companies who were complicit”. He said there must be a statutory code, with those firms who have refused to “self-cleanse” being banned from public contracts.

The committee has recommended that the Westminster government take immediate steps to launch a public inquiry.

Steve Murphy, general secretary of the UCATT construction workers’ union, described the SAC’s work in exposing blacklisting as “absolutely invaluable”.

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/scottish-affairs-committee/news/blacklisting-final-report-published

http://www.ucatt.org.uk/scottish-affairs-report-blacklisting-places-more-pressure-guilty-companies