Construction union UCATT has described the announcement that eight construction companies involved in the blacklisting scandal are prepared to offer compensation to victims of blacklisting as a "step forward".

Steve Murphy General Secretary of UCATT, said: "This is a step forward, the companies involved are admitting their guilt for the first time and are recognising that the victims of blacklisting deserve compensation. However to be a legitimate scheme all 3,213 blacklisted victims or their dependents must be notified that they were on a blacklist."


The eight companies who have established the Construction Workers Compensation Scheme are Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and VINCI PLC.

Mr Murphy added: "While this could be a significant victory in the battle for justice for the blacklisted workers, there is still a great deal of information we do not yet have including how the scheme will work and who will be eligible. Until we have all the information and it is clear that the scheme is, transparent, open and accessible to all victims of blacklisting we cannot endorse it."

(CD/IT)