EIGHT Inverclyde workers have been awarded over half a million pounds in compensation after being ‘blacklisted’ by some of Britain’s biggest construction firms.

Six workers from Greenock received a share of just over £400,000 while a person from Gourock and another from Port Glasgow each received £90,000 after the GMB union settled its claim against the construction industry for a total of £5.4m plus millions more in legal costs.

The legal action was launched after the Information Commissioner’s Office seized a database of 3,213 construction workers and environmental activists which was being used by 44 companies to vet new recruits and keep trade union and health and safety activists out of employment.

The secret files, which are believed to have been around for 30 years, apparently included defamatory references to workers such as: “will cause trouble, strong TU [trade union]”, “ex-shop steward, definite problems” and “Irish ex-army, bad egg”.

Some of those on the list, which was discovered back in 2009, said they were denied work, while a handful moved abroad because they could not find jobs in this country.

Greenock man Ronnie Munro, who received a ‘substantial’ five figure sum as a result of the legal action, said justice had been done.

The 69-year-old, who lives on the Esplanade, said: “I didn’t need the money, this was all about the principle and to stop it from happening again.

“All we were trying to do was protect and defend the workers and we were being punished for that - it’s shocking.”

Ronnie, who worked as a welder on various sites and offshore platforms between 1978 and 1984, was also a shop steward who was involved in union activities including a strike at Hunterston oil rig yard in 1980. He said it was thanks to the Greenock Telegraph that he found out about the blacklist 33 years later.

Ronnie said: “Back in 2013, my son George spotted a piece in the Tele about the GMB trying to identify 26 Inverclyde people who were blacklisted by the construction industry.

“The GMB said employers were offering an apology and compensation to the people involved.

“So George sent Phil Reid at the GMB an email and after correspondence with them and the Information Commissioner’s Office I was told that my name had been blacklisted.

“I was shocked and angry.

“Back then I did find it difficult to get jobs.That was my incentive to set up my company Inverweld in 1984, which is now run by my son Ian.

“If I hadn’t done that then I could have been idle for the rest of my life.

“But that did happen to some people, and I hope that the other 18 people in Inverclyde who were blacklisted also seek compensation.”

The GMB brought claims against Carillion, Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and VINCI regarding 30 years of blacklisting activities by them, the Economic League and the Consulting Association.

As well as compensatio payouts, the 116 blacklisted GMB members also received a full apology from the companies involved and legal costs amounting to almost £3m were reclaimed from them in full.

The GMB’s Justin Bowden told the Tele: “We’re overjoyed at this well-deserved result for Mr Munro and the other GMB members whose lives were devastated by blacklisting.  

"The companies involved tried to keep their dirty little secret hidden but with these settlements, and the unreserved apology from the companies involved, they will be hard pressed to forget this sordid episode.”

GMB said that the total value of settlements for their members as well as UCATT, GCR and Unite members is around £75m for 771 claimants, including legal costs on both sides estimated at £25m.  

Inverclyde Council is now moving to implement a blacklisting protocol which will provide guidance to procurement officers on how to assess a tenderer involved in blacklisting practices.

Council leader Stephen McCabe said: “The council has been very much at the forefront of highlighting blacklisting and we’ve passed a couple of motions in terms of blacklisting. I take a very hard line in terms of companies guilty of blacklisting.”

Anyone else in the Inverclyde area who thinks they have have been blacklisted should contact the GMB on 020 7391 6700.