When Labour came to power in 1997 a big thing was made about making blacklists against Trade Unionists discriminatory and illegal.You may remember the infamous Economic League blacklist that targeted assorted trade unionists and lefties. In the last 11 years strong allegations have been put forward that there still may be a blacklist in the construction industry (http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=8636).
I recently found reference to a blacklist that could indirectly be used to victimise trade unionists. http://www.hicom.co.uk/BusinessSolutions/literature/nsdr_datasheet.pdf
or this here
http://www.synergyforensic.co.uk/news_item.asp?article=141
This is very worrying. Considering that the balance of proof to dismiss an employee is practically nil, kicking out a shop steward on trumped up charges of say theft could easily place said workplace rep on a blacklist. Maybe as a threat to the 'financial security of the company'.
Sneaky bastards!!
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1 comment:
Ian,
The legislation giving TU reps protection from victimisation as a result of carrying out of their trade union duties has been seen to be redundant in a wide variety of circumstances, including the predominance of blacklists.
The informality of the existence of blacklists has perversely been critical to their continuity.
An issue I have witnessed as someone that works extensively with trade unions reps and officers from a wide variety of unions is the use of a varient of blacklisting being used to identify trade union representatives through the TUPE negotiating processes and the bogus selection of them for non-transfer of redundancy purposes post-transfer.
A critical issue for the movement therefore. Is not just simply the existence of the traditional model of the blacklist but the continuity of forms of the notion that a category of worker can be 'selected' and then dismissed, harassed etc.
Your feedback on my comments would be welcome.
Many thanks
Ian Manborde
International Law, Labour and Trade Union Studies Department
Ruskin College, Oxford
Blog: ianmanborde.blogspot.com
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