Enfield based electrician Frank Morris has been sacked from working on the prestigious Media Centre at the Olympics after blowing the whistle on the use of an illegal blacklist on the construction project.
Frank's dismissal by Daltech Services followed
weeks of intimidation and threats of violence by senior members of
Daltech management after Frank Morris had raised concerns about the
dismissal of a co-worker. The co-worker was dismissed from the Olympics
Media Centre being built by Skanska and Carillion after
his name appeared on a blacklist of trade union members. Frank raised
concerns about this illegal practice and was victimised, bullied,
threatened with violence by senior management to the point that Frank
had to call the police for his own protection and finally dismissed.
Skanska and Carillion were two of
the major building contractors exposed for using an illegal blacklist
of trade union members following a raid on the premsies of the Consulting Association by the government's Information Commissioners Office
in 2009. The Consulting Association collated a secret database of trade
union members on behalf of 44 multi-national construction firms who
funded, supplied information and directed the workings of the blacklist.
The Consulting association database was declared illegal following the
successful prosecution in 2009. Invoices siezed during the raid show
that Skanska alone paid over £28,000 a year to use the blacklist. Skanska have conceded that 30 of their senior managers participated in the Consulting Association operation. There are currently numerous Employment Tribunal cases against Skanska, Carrillion and Daltech because of the blacklisting scandal.
John McDonnell MP called the Consulting Association scandal "the worst case of organised human rights abuse ever in the UK". It seems that the illegal practice is still alive and well on the most high-profile building project in the world.
Below is Frank's own words on the matter:
"When I started August 2010 at the Olympic I was overjoyed, I secured a job at the Media Centre for Daltech Services who were contracted to Skanska with Carillion
being main contractor. I brought into the Olympic dream and proud
that I could be part of building of it. I was also guaranteeing myself a
reasonable weekly wage in the worst recession since the great
depression which was a lifeline to me and my family.
Late last year, a fellow electrician was dismissed from site, this
worker had an impeccable work record; 100% attendance and punctuality,
he was earning a productivity bonus which meant he was achieving over
and above his daily work target and he had an impeccable disciplinary
record. I was in complete shock the project was in mid flow we were all
looking at a minimum of at least 6 months work and the contractor we
were working for seemed to have plenty of work in the pipeline for 2011.
Later that same day, I was speaking to my electrical supervisor and
asked what was the reason behind the dismissal. The reply was
astonishing, he stated he was dismissed because his name has come up on a
list that he was a union man and a known troublemaker. My electrical
supervisor confirmed this again the following day. The other electrician
had previously been a shop steward on another London construction
project.
I passed on this information to the union and the the sacked
electrician, so he could understand real reason for his dismissal.
During the subsequent appeal hearing, the name of the electrical
supervisor in question and the conversation I had previously recalled
was divulged. That was the end of my Olympic experience.
I was immediately removed of site and transferred to Belmarsh Prision extension still working for Daltech Services with Skanska
this time were the main contractor. I was forced to work in isolation
(in contravention of the main contractors health and safety procedures),
site management waged a campaign of intimidation and bullying against
me. On 16th December 2010, I had to call the police and
ask for protection as a senor electrical engineer threatened me with
violence; he said was going to follow me off the site and assault me. I
tried my best to resolve the issues using the company grievance
procedure. For the next 6 weeks, I suffered daily examples
of intimidation by site management. If I could of found another job at
any time, I would of resigned: the fact was, I could not afford to
leave.
On 14th February 2011, the management told me to attend a
disciplinary hearing and I was sacked. I had previously worked on
numerous railway projects and was represnted at the hearing by Steve Hedley (RMT union official). I
was not sacked because of poor workmanship or lateness but because I
raised concerns about the use of an illegal blacklist. I am now
unemployed"
