Thursday 11 June 2020

Blacklisting at Manchester Airport

Last week, the North West Construction Rank and File postponed a demonstration at Manchester Airport on the promise of meaningful talks with Manchester Airport Group (Client) and Vanderlande (Principal Contractor). It was initially called in response to the way that 70 sparks and fitters were treated by JCK Ltd at the outset of the Covid-19 lockdown.

You can read the background to the story here - LINK

Both Manchester Airport and Vanderlande have broken their promise of meeting Unite the Union and the Construction Rank and File for talks and have fobbed us off all week.  

Only a few days ago, there was a foreseeable incident on site where an Electrician received an electric shock due to the complete lack of electrical isolation procedures being implemented by JCK Ltd. This isn't the first time it has happened on a JCK Ltd airport project. A couple of years ago, the exact same incident happened on a site at Gatwick Airport. You would have thought they would have learnt first time round and brought in the correct procedures. This is not acceptable, construction workers deserve better than this. 

Workers who raised concerns with JCK and Vanderlande prior to the lockdown over Electrical Safety, bullying and Covid-19 have been told that they are not welcome back on site. There is no other word for this, it is blacklisting, and all parties are complicit. 

The silence is deafening and the talks are off. The site is now fully operational with workers being forced to work overtime whilst others are left out in the cold trying to put food on the table. 

The Construction Rank and File have been left with no other option than to take direct action to stand up for those on site and at home. Starting with a demonstration at Manchester Airport on Friday 12th June at 6am, with ongoing weekly actions to follow. 

See you in the morning.   

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