A SECURITY contractor used by the Science and Natural History museums has been threatened with a private prosecution over alleged strike-breaking regulations.

The United Voices of the World (UVW) union said today that it was preparing legal action against contractor Wilson James, along with the BMSL agency.

UVW, whose members were due to walk out from today to Saturday, during the school half-term break, and from October 30 to November 1, has instructed the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) to put the firms on notice of what would be the first prosecution related to the ban on the use of agency workers to break a strike.

UVW general secretary Petros Elia said: “We have contacted several agencies that we understand have been approached by Wilson James to put them on notice that they will be committing a criminal offence if they provide agency workers to break the strike.

“If any of them ignore our warnings, we will privately prosecute them.

“We will prosecute Wilson James for aiding and abetting them in the commission of a criminal offence.

“This would be the first time to our knowledge that a private prosecution would be used to enforce these regulations and the first time that an employer could be found liable. It would be a historic step.”

PILC legal director Paul Heron added: “These regulations are clear, as are the consequences for breaching them.

“However, this has not stopped many agencies and employers from thinking they can flout them.

“It is surprising that to our knowledge no agency or employer has been prosecuted under these regulations, but that may soon change.

“We hope that Wilson James and BMSL heed our warnings and do not provide agency workers to break the strike.”
 
Wilson James and BMSL were contacted for comment.