Companies increase blacklisted worker offers before High Court hearing
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Workers and their solicitors have been negotiating over the amounts to be paid after the High court action looks to be drawing nearer, with some of the blacklisted workers to receive £150000.
The compensation is being offered in a bid to settle before the case reaches the High Court, the offers are being increased as the High Court action over the blacklist looms.
Victims of the blacklisting have accepted offers of £60,000 and £160,000 after being offered significantly less before as nationaltradesmen.co.uk reported on the blacklisting in previous blog post http://https://nationaltradesmen.co.uk/blog///unite-claims-major-court-victory-for-blacklisted-construction-workers/
One source commented saying: “People on the list are suddenly being offered a lot more money to settle as the date for High Court action approaches.”
The construction unions and the “Blacklist Support Group” are bringing a class action for around 700 workers against contractors caught up in the scandal where the named companies stopped the workers from entering their sites because they feared they would stir up trouble among the other workers.
The case is now pending at the High Court and will be heard this year.
As reported in Nattionaltradesmens blog last year when Robert Mcalpine named the other companies who blacklisted workers http://https://nationaltradesmen.co.uk/blog///robert-mcalpine-names-others-in-blacklist-trial/
The following companies also blackilisted union members from its jobs -Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and Vinci PLC
These companies have now set up “The Construction Workers Compensation Scheme” to settle with victims out of court and this is in due process.
A statement from the group is as follows: “We can confirm that Part 36 offers have been issued to the majority of the claimants in the legal action.
“We have made these offers in an attempt to settle as many claims out of court as possible in order to save further unnecessary legal costs and to speed up the payments to affected workers.
“Due to the confidential nature of all Part 36 offers, we are unable to comment on the specific details of these offers.”
The Blacklist Support Group said: “The High Court litigation has reached a crucial point with the companies offering money in an attempt to buy themselves out of any justice.
“Many blacklisted workers have point blankly rejected the insulting offers and are determined to carry on to full trial.”
