Islington Council to terminate 'blacklist' contracts
A north London council will terminate the contract of any firm found to be blacklisting construction workers, it has announced.
Islington Council opposes the practice which sees workers secretly named on a list if they are involved in union or political disputes.
Any firm applying for council contracts must now prove it does not blacklist.
Blacklisting, which is not always accurate, can make it difficult for those named to find employment.
'Ruined too many lives'
Andy Hull, the Labour-controlled council's executive member for finance and performance, said: "Blacklisting is an immoral practice that has unfairly caused huge suffering for many workers and their families.
"We've made it clear that we won't work with firms who blacklist now, nor with any firms who have blacklisted in the past and can't prove they have stopped and made amends.
"We are making a stand against an unfair employment practice that has ruined too many lives."
The council said its leader, Richard Watts, would write to the government calling for a public inquiry into blacklisting, and would urge other councils to follow its lead.
Maria Ludkin, from the GMB union, added: "We welcome this kind of robust governance from local authorities.
"It is the only effective guarantee that blacklisting will be stamped out."