A construction union has slammed the launch of the Construction Workers Compensation Scheme (TCWCS) and branded it "highly cynical".

The (TCWCS) was launched today, less than a week before a High Court case into blacklisting is due to begin.

Steve Murphy, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "This is a deeply cynical attempt by the blacklisting companies to try to prevent workers, who have had their lives ruined, getting justice."

The union said problems with the counterfeit compensation scheme include:

• Workers could receive just £4,000 in compensation.

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• Any blacklisting activity which occurred by the Economic League prior to the Consulting Association (TCA) being formed would be excluded from any substantive claim, despite the TCA effectively being a continuation of the Economic League’s Services Group.

• Not all the companies who were involved in blacklisting construction workers are members of the TCWCS.

• The compensation scheme would be a behind closed doors paper based process which denies workers the opportunity to explain how blacklisting wrecked their lives.

• Under the schemes rules only a few workers would qualify for a so-called full review.

• If a worker agreed to enter the compensation scheme they would be effectively gagged and barred from taking further legal action against the blacklisters.

The blacklisting construction companies behind the TCWCS are; Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and Vinci Plc.

No agreement was reached with the trade unions or representatives of blacklisted workers prior to the scheme being launched.

(CD/MH)