Blacklist protest targets City training ground

THE union Unite is staging a protest at Manchester City’s ground today to highlight the issue of blacklisting in the construction industry.

It is targeting the club because it has hired BAM Construction to build the £100m Etihad Campus training complex.

BAM Construction and sister company BAM Nuttall were among 40 companies that used the services of the Consulting Association which was investigated in 2009 for compiling a database of workers and selling information to firms that wanted to vet staff.

Following the investigation no action was taken against the BAM companies and the group has previously said it never purchased or used blacklisting data. Much of the blacklisting activity related to the Crossrail project in London.

Martin Rogers, executive board director at Royal BAM Group said: “Blacklisting has no place in today’s construction industry. We have fully cooperated with the investigation carried out by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2009 and at that time no action was taken.”

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “Unite will use every legal means to end this blight and to expose the companies and individuals that indulge in blacklisting.”