- Blacklist event at Scottish parliament
6pm Wednesday 4th November
Holyrood parliament building (please get there early as it takes time to get past security).
Speakers: Neil Findlay MSP, Dave Smith (BSG), Jackson Cullinane (UNITE)
Everyone welcome but please contact Jackson.cullinane@unitetheunion.org as soon as possible in order get your name down.
Daytime ‘Blacklisted’ book event:
1pm, Wednesday, 4 November at Word Power Books
43-45 West Nicolson Street
Edinburgh
EH8 9DB
http://www.word-power.co.uk
- Pitchford public inquiry
Blacklist Support Group and many individuals on the Consulting Association blacklist have been granted core participant status within the Pitchford inquiry into undercover policing. There is now a specific category within the public inquiry.
Reel News video talking to people who were targeted by the undercover police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8GsY7yM3F8
Full list of core participants: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/151021-UCPI-list-of-core-participants.pdf
http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2015/10/24/conrad-landin/blacklisting-and-undercover-policing/
http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/
http://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/
- Blacklisting at the High Court in December
The next date for the High Court case management hearings is 7-8 December 2015 at Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand.
This is the first court appearance since the major firms admitted their guilt and apologised for their involvement in the Economic League and the Consulting Association. We are yet to hear what the remaining contractors involved in blacklisting decide to do. The biggest construction companies in the UK are falling out with each other and scrambling to protect their corporate brand. On our side, all the legal teams representing the blacklisted workers are united in our desire to see real justice. Blacklist Support Group (BSG) publicly state our desire to continue all the way to the High Court trial. We want to see the directors who orchestrated this unlawful conspiracy give evidence under oath about their human rights violations.
BSG want to make Monday 7th December a big one. It is the first High Court session since the firms have admitted their guilt and we hope to generate some publicity for the campaign. Come with your Blacklisted t-shirts.
Monday 7th December
9am – assemble outside the High Court
10am – 4pm – High Court blacklisting trial case management hearing
6pm BSG parliamentary meeting (all welcome)
Speakers include: John McDonnell MP (shadow chancellor), John Hendy QC, Chris Stephens MP (SNP trade union spokesperson) and many blacklisted workers.
9pm – Pre-Xmas celebratory drinks
- Michael Meacher R.I.P.
Graham Bowker, blacklisted electrician and constituent of Michael Meacher commented on behalf of the Blacklist Support Group :
“Michael Meacher was a respectful gentleman who put in endless work on behalf of all blacklisted workers since 2004, long before the Consulting Association database was discovered. It was picketlines in Manchester that led to the scandal being exposed and Michael supported us throughout, later raising the issue in parliament, on his blog and was a keynote speaker at the Blacklist Support Group AGM in March 2013. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Michael’s family and close friends at this sad time”.
Obituary from Morning Star: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-2273-The-Michael-Meacher-I-knew-was-a-giant-of-our-movement-and-friend#.Vi5FP37hDs0
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-2190-Tributes-pour-in-for-leftwinger-Meacher#.Vi5FUX7hDs0
Michael Meacher at BSG AGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jZegxaljmM
- Carillion admit guilt, apologise and then chase blacklisted worker for legal costs
https://usilive.org/blood-money-blacklisted-worker-stunned-by-legal-bill/
http://www.hazards.org/blacklistblog/
The story also made the Daily Mirror thanks to Andrew Penman and Private Eye.
- Ex-senior police officer who attended Consulting Association meetings has the front to criticise John McDonnell in the press. Blacklisted workers stand shoulder to shoulder with John McDonnell.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-e345-McDonnell-defended-after-attack-in-the-press
To hear a retired senior police officer who actually attended the blacklisting meetings claim that his future career prospects have been harmed because an MP raised the issue somewhat sticks in the throat of the thousands of honest hard working construction workers who were denied employment over decades by this illegal conspiracy.
Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Mills was the liaison officer for the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU), a police unit tasked with spying on organisations such as CND, trade unions, leftwing journalists as well as activists within environmental and animal rights campaigns. In his official role, DCI Mills attended and gave a Powerpoint presentation at a meeting of an organisation called The Consulting Association. The Consulting Association is the secret body responsible for the illegal blacklisting of 3213 trade union and environmental activists by major construction firms and the audience at the 2008 meeting included senior managers from the following companies: Vinci, AMEC, Skanska, Costain, Sir Robert McAlpine, Emcor, and Sias Building Services. The protest DCI Gordon Mills was so upset about was organised by the GMB and amounted to 6 trade unionists carrying flags and someone dressed up in a furry crocodile suit (photo attached).
- Dates for the diary
Fri 30th October – Benefit gig at Kings Arms in Salford – all proceeds to campaigns against fascism http://kingsarmssalford.com/?id=9#10/30/2015
Mon 2nd Nov – Trade Union Bill – TUC mass lobby of Westminster parliament (12 noon onwards)
2nd – 14th Nov – United We Stand – the story of the Shrewsbury Pickets at Bussey Building, Peckham, tickets £12 (£10 concessions). http://www.townsendproductions.org.uk/productions/united-we-stand
Wed 4th Nov – Holyrood blacklist 6pm meeting & Edinburgh lunchtime 1pm meeting
Sat 7th Nov – National construction rank & file meeting – Newcastle Labour Club (12-3pm) – all construction workers welcome
Sat 7th Nov – Socialism 2015, Institute of Education (blacklisting in the ‘Big Brother is watching you’ workshop). http://socialism2015.socialistparty.org.uk/
Saturday 14th November – Unite the Resistance – Defend Our Unions (Blackisting & Teesside #PayTheRate) http://uniteresist.org/2015/08/unite-the-resistance-conference-2015/
15th November – 6th December – Film maker Lucy Parker Blacklist exhibition in Edinburgh http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=1451e9af82bc98b746394f078&id=8ee7960ca1&e=d1d86825e4
- Ongoing victimisation & blacklisting
Reinstate Sandy Nicholl, SOAS Unison Branch Secretary
Glen Hart, RMT rep victimised by London Undergraound for his TU activities
Peel Ports Liverpool
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business/row-over-peel-ports-construction-10340532
Pay The Rate camapign at Wilton Complex in Teesside is now in its 8th month – follow by searching #PayTheRate on social media.
BSG activists at Dismaland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSY8oYqV4k8
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/blacklisted-birth-letter-langston-hughes
- Appeal from Reel News
The Reel News collective are an integral part of the Blacklist Support Group campaign, they have been with us for many years and their photos & videos have spread the story around the world. Reel News are currently running an appeal to allow them to carry on their work with the trade unions, environmental campaigns and refugees. We urge all our supporters (especially union branches) to donate to the appeal or better still take out an annual subscription to Reel News.
http://reelnews.co.uk/donationssubscriptions/
Blacklist Support Group
book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70
blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/