BAM Confirmed for V&A Job, Despite Blacklisting Claims

Dundee City Council has confirmed BAM as contractor for the V&A Museum of Design Dundee, despite opposition from construction unions over the company’s blacklisting scandal connections.

The council’s policy and resources committee voted against a proposal from Labour councillor Richard McCready to block the appointment of BAM to the contract.

McCready raised a moral objection to the appointment on account of BAM’s involvement in blacklisting union members up to 2009, aided by the now-defunct Consulting Association.

BAM denies using the Association’s blacklisting services in Scotland, but admits doing so in other parts of the UK “to a very limited degree”. A spokesman for the company said such usage ceased completely in 1998, when the Data Protection Act was passed.

Now confirmed, BAM will hold detailed discussions with the local authority to fix an exact price for the contract, estimated at £45m.