An alliance of people spied on by Britain's political secret police
The illegal construction industry blacklist was caught and shut down nine years ago.
More than 3,000 people were on the blacklist because they were ‘troublemakers’ who wanted their legal rights of decent health and safety standards and the right to be represented by a union. Lives were ruined.
Dave Smith was put on the list after complaining about the dangers of asbestos on construction sites and trying to improve health and safety conditions through union activism.
Dave told the Metro
‘I was a qualified engineer during one of the longest building booms this country has ever known, but my children were on milk tokens.’
Although most big construction firms used the list, none have faced any charges. The companies were illegally helped by the police, but none of them have face any chages either.
It’s been more than four years since the Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed that every constabulary’s Special Branch illegally supplied citizens’ details to the blacklist yet no officer has been named, let alone reprimanded.
Two years ago spycop-turned-whistleblower Peter Francis revealed that the Special Demonstration Squad had specifically targeted unions. Undercover officer Mark Jenner was a member of UCATT and was out on picket lines.
There is no excuse for continuing to protect the guilty. With journalist Phil Chamberlain, Dave wrote the definitive and shocking book about the scandal, Blacklisted: The Full Story.
Come and hear him for yourself.
WHEN: Thursday 8 February, 3-5pm
WHERE: RC345, Royal College, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow G1 1XW