Constructions big 8 pay out £80 million to blacklisted workers
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Some of the country’s biggest contractors have agreed to hand out an estimated £80m in compensation to blacklisted workers, equating to an average individual payout of £65,000 to each of the 771 workers.
Some of the workers more harshly affected by the blacklist have agreed to figures over £200,000
Estimates for the legal fees are thought to be in excess of 25 million for the case which was first started over 10 years ago which was planned to be heard in the high court just before the settlement deal.
Sir Robert McAlpine,Carillion,Kier, Laing O’Rourke,Vinci and Skanska UK have all settled Unite the last union in the case.Unite which was representing 256 workers this morning for a sum of more than £10m.
The GMB has also revealed that it settled at £5.4m for 116 blacklisted workers, plus £3m of legal costs under its deal last month, which it can now divulge the terms of following the final Unite settlement.
Construction union UCATT has confirmed that as a result of the High Court case into blacklisting that the union has won £8.9 million on behalf of the 156 cases it took for its blacklisted members.
The full amount could not be previously revealed due to the ongoing nature of the High Court action, which has now been concluded.
Dave smith who was a victim of the blacklisting and who now is secretary of the Blacklist Support Group, said: “Despite all of the denials and attempts to cover up their secret conspiracy, the largest multinationals in the construction sector have been forced to pay out millions in compensation.
“Make no mistake, the High Court action is a historic victory for the trade union movement against the vicious face of free market capitalism.”
Brian Rye, Acting General Secretary, said: “This is the largest ever compensation payment won by this union on behalf of our members. The pay-outs members have received go a small way to compensating them for the hurt and loss that they and their families suffered over many years.”
The blacklisting by the Consulting Association was first revealed in 2009.
The UCATT members were represented by solicitors OH Parsons.
Mr Rye, added: “I would like to thank OH Parsons for their excellent work on behalf of our members.”
