黑洞社区

The GMB union is writing to public sector clients claiming Carillion鈥檚 record on blacklisting makes the company unsuitable for government-funded work, it has told MPs.

GMB officer Justin Bowden told the Scottish Affairs select committee on Tuesday that the union suspects Carillion is still involved in the practice, which was partially exposed when a blacklist of 3,200 people held by the Consulting Association (CA) was exposed in 2009.

The committee, which is examining whether laws on blacklisting should be tightened, also heard allegations from the Unite union that Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) continues to be involved in blacklisting.

Both firms strongly deny the allegations.

The developments came as the TUC Congress, which begins on Sunday, prepares to raise the issue of blacklisting amid ongoing preparations for two separate High Court cases on behalf of blacklisted individuals.

Bowden claimed 224 of those on the CA鈥檚 list were blacklisted by Carillion and that the firm is working on, or tendering for, 拢2bn worth of public work in Scotland alone.

He told MPs:  鈥淭here is absolutely no doubt in our mind that Carillion continues to hold information on people鈥�the individual who was responsible for administering the blacklist and the relationship with the Consulting Association, the head of HR Liz Keates, continues to work for the company.

鈥淎 public apology is overdue鈥�it seems ludicrous to us that public money should be going to companies that are clearly guilty of this behaviour,鈥� he added.

黑洞社区 understands that clients written to by the GMB include PPP giant Semperian, which employs Carillion for FM work on the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, and the Gladys Aylward Academy in Enfield, where Carillion is preferred bidder for a 拢10m construction job.

Carillion hit out at the claims, which it said presented a 鈥済rossly distorted and misleading portrait of Carillion insofar as blacklisting is concerned鈥�. 

A spokesman said: 鈥淚t is specifically untrue that Carillion indulges in blacklisting itself or that it condones or tolerate such practices in its supply chain.

鈥淭o the best of our knowledge and from our own internal investigation, there was only ever limited use of the Consulting Association鈥檚 database by one Carillion subsidiary, Crown House. 

鈥淭his took place almost ten years ago. Another subsidiary, John Mowlem, made limited use of the database prior to its acquisition by Carillion in 2006.  At that time the practice was not unlawful.

鈥淯sing the Consulting Association鈥檚 database at Crown House was discontinued by Liz Keates, then an HR manager, because she felt uncomfortable with continuing to use a system she had inherited and she therefore chose to end it. 鈥�

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail told the committee that Unite believes that BBES and its head of HR, Gerry Harvey, continue to be involved in blacklisting.

But committee chairman Ian Davidson MP called on the unions to produce written evidence to support their claims.

A spokesperson for Balfour Beatty said it 鈥渄oes not condone the use of blacklists in any circumstances and has taken steps to ensure that none of our companies use such services鈥�.

She said it would not be appropriate to comment further.