Construction Blacklist

I have posted about this before. From an email list I belong to

FIRMS FACE LEGAL ACTION OVER 'BLACK LISTS'

An investigation by the Information Commissioner' s Office (ICO) has uncovered a database containing details on 3,213 construction workers, which was used by over 40 construction companies to vet individuals for employment.

Information Commissioner' s Office

The information commissioner, Richard Thomas, has published a list of the companies he believes may have broken data protection laws, after an investigation by his office that was sparked by fears that many workers were being unfairly "blacklisted" .The information includes sensitive personal information such as construction workers' personal relationships, trade union activity, as well as people's employment history.The information has been seized by the ICO during a raid in Droitwich, West Midlands.

Ian Kerr, the owner of a firm known as the Consulting Association, appears to have run the database for over 15 years.The ICO has uncovered evidence at Kerr's premises that named construction firms subscribed to Kerr's system for a £3,000 annual fee. Companies could add information to the system and pay £2.20 for details held on individuals. Invoices to construction firms for up to £7,500 were seized during the raid.

The ICO has served an Enforcement Notice ordering Mr Kerr to stop using the system. Mr Kerr is to cease trading by the end of this week and he now faces prosecution by the ICO for breaching the Data Protection Act.Deputy Information Commissioner, David Smith, said: "This is a serious breach of the Data Protection Act. Not only was personal information held on individuals without their knowledge or consent, but the very existence of the database was repeatedly denied."The covert system enabled Mr Kerr to unlawfully trade personal information on workers for many years helping the construction industry to vet prospective employees."Trading people's personal details in this way is unlawful and we are determined to stamp out this type of activity."He added: "The Data Protection Act clearly states that organisations must be open about how they process personal information, and in most cases those processing personal information must register with the ICO - Mr Kerr did not comply with the law on either count."We will prosecute Mr Kerr and we are also considering what regulatory action to take against construction firms who have been using the system."www.ico.gov. uk

These people need to be made an example of.

Jail 'em!!