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Friday, March 06, 2009

Companies ‘Paid for Secret Database on Troublemakers’

More than 40 companies, including some of Britain’s biggest construction firms, are facing legal action over claims that they paid a private detective to vet prospective employees.

Balfour Beatty and Sir Robert McAlpine are among companies accused of paying to access a database of construction workers that listed details of trade union activities and work habits.

Ian Kerr, of Droitwich, Worcestershire, charged firms £3,000 a year to consult his database of 3,213 workers, whose names were accompanied by notes such as “poor timekeeper, will cause trouble, strong [trade union]”.

He will be prosecuted under the Data Protection Act, which prohibits holding personal information on individuals without their knowledge or consent.

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