The following has been supplied by the TUC:
The prime minister has confirmed he will not support a public inquiry into blacklisting of union reps for raising safety and other concerns on site.
In an interview with journalist Adam Smith, author of the bestseller ‘Obama and Me’, David Cameron said: “What is needed is to make sure we exercise the legislation that is now in place, this is something that happened under the last government and now there is now legislation in place to stop illegal blacklisting.”
Asked directly by Smith if there should be a public inquiry, the prime minister said: “As I say I think enforcing the law that we have now is the most important thing.”
Describing blacklisting as a national scandal “akin to McCarthyism”, Blacklist Support Group secretary Dave Smith, said: “Blacklisting of trade unionists is no longer an industrial relations issue; it is a major human rights conspiracy between multinational corporations and the state. Despite all this, David Cameron has said ‘no’ to a public inquiry.”
He added: “Blacklisting is working class phone-hacking. Only a fully independent public inquiry will get to the truth of the blacklisting human rights scandal… It is not surprising that a Conservative prime minister funded by big business does not want a public inquiry. But that is what blacklisted workers, their unions and the TUC are calling for.”
Senior directors of three of the UK's largest construction companies last week apologised to MPs investigating the blacklisting of employees. Representatives from Balfour Beatty, Laing O'Rourke and Vinci Construction were appearing before the Scottish Affairs Committee.
