Construction union UCATT are said to be "severely disappointed" that the Government has failed to strengthen their blacklisting regulations, after UCATT alerted them to the fact the regulations were not sufficient to end blacklisting.

The regulations fail to make blacklisting a criminal offence, despite the Government in 1999 promising to introduce such measures.

The regulations also only cover the limited definition of "trade union activities" and specifically rule out protecting workers involved in "unofficial industrial action" from being blacklisted. Under the regulations workers who downed tools due to safety concerns or who refused to undertake overtime, could be legally blacklisted.


The regulations also fail to provide automatic compensation for any blacklisted worker and workers on a blacklist are not entitled to be automatically informed of the fact. In certain circumstances companies will still be legally able to draw up lists of trade unionists for recruitment practices (backdoor blacklisting).

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "The blacklisting regulations are fundamentally flawed.

"It is deeply disappointing that the Government has failed to listen to the genuine concerns of trade unionists and have failed to make the appropriate amendments to the regulations.

"The regulations were laid before Parliament on 5th January and are due to be debated by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments this Wednesday (20th January). UCATT has written to members of the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, outlining how the regulations are deficient.

"The regulations need to be agreed by both Houses of Parliament before they can be enacted into law."

(CD/BMcC)