image, Solfed
One area less covered by the recent openDemocracy report into state surveillance of activists is blacklisting. This is the practice of gathering information on workers – through surveillance, vetting and other means – on behalf of employers, in order to deny employment to those who take part in trade union activities. The practice is particularly prevalent in the construction sector and has had far-reaching and devastating consequences for thousands of workers, many of whom had done nothing more than attend trade union meetings as members.
In 1993, a company called The Consulting Association was founded to run an industrial-scale surveillance operation on thousands of construction workers. The company sold the information it gathered to 44 construction companies, including Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine and Skanska. In many cases, this information included trade union affiliation and activities, alleged political affiliations and activities, and details of personal relationships. Many files contained comments or opinions about workers’ apparent political standpoints, including explicit instructions not to employ particular workers. The Consulting Association was not the first company to do this; The Economic League operated a blacklist for over 70 years before it disbanded. Many of the practices in The Economic League were adopted by The Consulting Association, and key staff members moved from the former to the latter.
