Gloucestershire construction workers 'blacklisted' in 1970s scandal
CONSTRUCTION workers in Gloucestershire were among those blacklisted as "troublemakers" and "militants" in a 1970s scandal.
Some 32 people in the county, who worked in the industry, had their careers blighted if they were a member of a union or raised concerns about health and safety.
The scandal only came to light in 2009 and now union leaders are appealing for people in the county to come forward to see if they can claim compensation.
Members of the GMB, Ucatt, Unite and RMT unions are all thought to be among those affected.
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The GMB is fighting two cases in the High Court already.
Nationally, there are said to be some 3,213 blacklisted names.
The names were revealed after a raid on the offices of the Consulting Association, in Worcestershire, in 2009, which led to the firm's closure.
It had been illegally keeping files on workers branding some as "activists", "militants" and "troublemakers".
Firms could then check the names database ahead of appointing people to jobs.
Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, said: "We believe councils should not award work to the firms that operated the blacklist until they compensate those damaged. People have been deprived of an honest living through these illegal tactics, which has blighted their families' lives.
"They have been the victims of injustice over many years by multinational companies. Not a single company has yet been punished nor have any of them paid compensation."
At present, only 200 people know they were blacklisted because the individual has to write in with a letter and proof of identity before details are released.
Anyone who thinks information was held on them should contact the Information Commissioner's Office on 0303 123 1113 for advice.
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