Blacklisted builders launch mass legal action against Sir Robert McAlpine

[elbows]

Heating up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21155535

MPs will hear calls later for a full inquiry into claims of the blacklisting of workers on major public projects such as Crossrail and the Olympics.

Labour will hold a Commons debate on the allegations.

Labour said the affair was a national scandal, and wants a full investigation into allegations of blacklisting on schemes such as Crossrail and the Olympics.

On Tuesday, Cullum McAlpine, a director at construction giant Sir Robert McAlpine, confirmed to MPs that the company had checked workers against the list to protect against "deliberatively disruptive or unlawful" behaviour on sites.

 

[nino_savatte]

I love the way McAlpine first denied that they'd used the blacklist and then claimed that it wasn't a blacklist and was just a "list". Lying filth.

 

[brogdale]

Disturbing report from Manchester...

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2013/05/blacklisted-workers-deserve-a-larger-audience/#more-68467

There is a depressing familiarity to the discrepancy between witness reports and that of the Police..

One recalled it being like “slow motion”, describing the driver as abusive and pushing his car against Mr Tapp before punching the car into full throttle propelling the 64 year old and two colleagues on to the bonnet.
Further anger has been caused by statements made by chief superintendent Russ Jackson, who claimed that CCTV footage showed protesters climbing on to the car bonnet.
Four witnesses have come forward to tell me that this did not take place and it was the force of the car itself that pushed Mr Tapp on to the bonnet before the car sped away.
The chief supt. also suggested the car drove away “slowly” which, considering Mr Tapp’s injuries, seems highly dubious, as does the claim that a 64 year old climbed on a car bonnet in the first place.

Still it goes on.

 

[marty21]

Phil Chamberlain has been chasing this stuff for years, worth checking out his blog and speaking to him.

http://takingoutthetrash.typepad.co.uk/

Just read the book he wrote with Dave Smith one of the blacklisted workers - murky stuff, fascinating and depressing . I think there was a court hearing on the claim today, part of the long running case?

 

[DaveCinzano]

Just read the book he wrote with Dave Smith one of the blacklisted workers - murky stuff, fascinating and depressing . I think there was a court hearing on the claim today, part of the long running case?

Not sure about that, but Dave's on trial on Thursday (23rd July) at City of London Magistrates' Court in relation to his arrest at an anti-blacklisting demo.

Could be interesting:

Police notebooks disclosed as evidence for the trial, show that the Met had received intelligence about the protesters before the event and also state that they had received instructions from a senior Met Police officer relating to David Cameron and the blacklist protest.

 

[DaveCinzano]

...Further anger has been caused by statements made by chief superintendent Russ Jackson, who claimed that CCTV footage showed protesters climbing on to the car bonnet...

This particular high-flying filth is now Head of CID at Greater Manchester Police.

 

[marty21]

Not sure about that, but Dave's on trial on Thursday (23rd July) at City of London Magistrates' Court in relation to his arrest at an anti-blacklisting demo.

Could be interesting:

cheers for that

 

[marty21]

Not sure about that, but Dave's on trial on Thursday (23rd July) at City of London Magistrates' Court in relation to his arrest at an anti-blacklisting demo.

Could be interesting:

saw on the FB page that his trial has been adjourned until January I think.

 

[teqniq]

Blacklisted workers are granted ‘core participant’ status in the Pitchford public inquiry into undercover policing

 

[teqniq]

Hehehe.

 

[teqniq]

Construction workers blacklisted for union activities to get compensation

 

[teqniq]

Fucking hell:

S24 Picket left to rot by Amnesty after Home Office Memo

AMNESTY International dropped Shrewsbury picket Des Warren as a prisoner of conscience in 1975 after a secret lobbying campaign by a government minister, previously unseen documents have revealed.

Mr Warren was imprisoned for “conspiracy to intimidate” alongside trade unionist-turned-actor Ricky Tomlinson and 22 others during the 1972 national builders’ strike.

Amnesty agreed at the time to campaign for Mr Warren’s release on the basis that he had been jailed on political grounds.

But letters uncovered by Shrewsbury 24 researcher Eileen Turnbull show Labour Home Office minister Alex Lyon objecting to Amnesty’s adoption of Mr Warren as a prisoner of conscience.

By autumn 1975 Amnesty had agreed to drop the case.

Campaigners said yesterday that Amnesty’s decision had meant “open season” on the imprisoned Mr Warren, who later died from an illness blamed on the “liquid cosh” of drugs administered to him by jailers....

 

[Pickman's model]

Fucking hell:

S24 Picket left to rot by Amnesty after Home Office Memo

wonder who else they've dropped because of similar pressure.

 

[Sprocket.]

Too many skeletons inside so many Cabinets.

 

[Pickman's model]

Too many skeletons inside so many Cabinets.

surprising given so many of them are spineless.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

50 blacklisted trade unionists win £1.9m from building firms

Been a long road!

 

[brogdale]

50 blacklisted trade unionists win £1.9m from building firms

Been a long road!

*like* doesn't really do justice to their determination and achievement.