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Sunday 17 July 2011

Protest outside Olympic park over blacklisting claims

Angry construction workers demonstrated outside the Olympics Media Centre on March 1 2011, over claims of sackings, bullying and victimisation of union members.
Frank Morris, an electrician from Enfield, North London, said he was overjoyed last August when he landed a job on the Olympics site.
Mr Morris was working for Daletch, a sub-contractor for Skanska, one of the main companies building at the Olympic Media Centre
But he said his joy turned to disbelief when a fellow worker with an ‘impeccable work record’ was sacked.
Mr Morris said his boss told him his colleague was “dismissed because his name has come up on a list.
“He was a union man and a known troublemaker.”
Mr Morris passed this information to the union and to his sacked colleague.
This later emerged at an appeal and Mr Morris was sent to work on the Bellmarsh Prison extension, where he said he was forced to work in isolation.

Mr Morris claimed he had to call the police in December, when a senior engineer threatened him with violence.

On February 14, he was sacked.

In 2009 an investigation by the Information Commission found that Skanska paid £28,000 to the Consulting Association who compiled illegal blacklists of union members in the construction industry.

Mr Morris and his friends aim to prove that Skanska is passing this information to its sub-contractors and encouraging them to sack those on the list.

Mr Morris believes that “a lot of fellows were blocked before they even got on” to the site.

Steve Kelley, Branch Secretary of construction union UNITE, said: “Frank Morris is one of many who have been stopped from getting onto big sites.“We must stop this once and for all.”

A spokesman for the Olympic Delivery Authority said: “All our contractors are required to operate within the law.

“We have positive working relations with construction unions on the Olympic Park, including a site-wide agreement on minimum pay, health and safety and union recognition and are not aware of any blacklisting on the Olympic Park.”

 A spokesman for Skanska said: “Skanska takes such allegations very seriously.

”We are not involved in the use of blacklists on these or any of our operations.

“We do not support or condone such behaviour, which is against the values and behaviours of our company.

“We work in accordance with the Joint Industry Board (JIB) Working Rule Agreement and to the Memorandum of Agreement between the Trade Unions and the Olympic Delivery Authority.

“We also work with our subcontractors to ensure they comply with these agreements."

A spokesman for Daletech said: “Daletech take this accusation very seriously and categorically deny the use of blacklists within our business.

“We are unable to comment on the particulars of an individual case, as this continues through our disciplinary procedures.

“Daletech are a member of the JIB and work closely with the trade unions to ensure compliance with the JIB working rule agreement and terms and conditions.”

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