UK construction blacklisting / The Consulting Association scandal
Risk Mechanism
A covert blacklist enabled construction firms to exclude workers who raised health and safety concerns, trade union issues, or other legitimate workplace grievances, suppressing complaint reporting and weakening labour-rights oversight across major projects.
Case Summary
The UK Parliament’s Scottish Affairs Committee found that The Consulting Association operated a coordinated blacklist used by major construction firms to screen and exclude workers who had raised legitimate workplace concerns, including health and safety and industrial relations issues. The Information Commissioner’s Office reported that its 2009 raid uncovered a database containing information on thousands of construction workers.
Risk Lesson
This case demonstrates how covert worker-screening systems can be used to blacklist individuals who raise safety, labour, or other legitimate workplace concerns, suppressing complaints and weakening the detection of wrongdoing. It highlights warning signs such as informal worker-screening databases, unexplained exclusion from job opportunities after complaints, opaque recruitment or vetting practices, and repeated adverse treatment of workers who raise concerns.
Reference
Scottish Affairs Committee. (2013). Blacklisting in Employment: Interim Report. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmscotaf/1071/107104.htm; Information Commissioner’s Office. (n.d.). Construction employment deny list. Available from: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/ico-40/construction-employment-deny-list/