Rank & File, Rent-a-Mob or a breath of fresh air?

Rank and File – Rent-a-Mob or a breath of fresh air?

 

 From the "Unite Scottish Rank & File Blog"

There are those within Unite the Union who view the rank and file as upstarts, a renegade group led by former EPIU members, who can be wheeled out in times of industrial strife at sites up and down the country, but ‘we’ don’t really want much to do with them.

It’s true that the rank and file are involved in disputes within the construction industry. It grew out of the Besna dispute
where we led the fightback against the rogue employer threatening to tear up our national agreements. Our ability to call for unofficial action was not only crucial and effective, it was also seen as an asset for this type of campaign, and we were also involved in the implementation of the leverage strategy that led to an outstanding victory. We were held up as heroes of the labour movement and our views were sought in various platforms up and down the country.

VVB Kicked off Crossrail Job

VVB kicked off of Paddington Crossrail 

job for refusing to join JIB

On the 1st February VVB were removed from the Crossrail Project at Paddington Station for refusing to engage workers on the cards on JIB terms and conditions.

There were several incidents before Christmas which had kept the London Unite officers extremely busy. During this period of unrest, the workers formed a Shop and elected a Shop Steward. VVB refused to acknowledge them and denied them their rights as Trade Union members.

Blacklist Support Group Update

Blacklist Support Group Update - 5th Anniversary of ICO Raid

23rd February was the 5th anniversary of the ICO raid that discovered the illegal Consulting Association blacklist. Despite masses of documentary evidence not one of the company directors responsible for this human right scandal has been disciplined by their employer or suffered any legal penalty.

Blacklist Support Group commemorated the 5th anniversary by the following actions:

1. Attempted citizens arrest on Cullum McAlpine 

First ever chairman of the Consulting Association at the Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd London offices which were the venue for the first Consulting Association meetings.

Arrest Warrant Served on Callum McAlpine

Police attend Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd offices as arrest warrant is served on Cullum McAlpine for blacklisting crimes

Metropolitan Police officers attended the London offices of Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd (Fri 21st Feb 2014) as an arrest warrant was served for Cullum McAlpine for his role in the Consulting Association scandal. This weekend if the 5th anniversary of the raid by the Information Commissioner's Office that discovered the illegal building industry blacklist.

The arrest warrant cited breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Health & Safety at Work Act and the Data Protection Act.