The companies – Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and VINCI – are all “apologising for their involvement with TCA and the impact that its database may have had on any individual construction worker.”

The eight have joined together to establish The Construction Workers Compensation Scheme.

The scheme is intended to “make it as simple as possible for any worker with a legitimate claim to access compensation.”

The companies have now invited workers’ representatives to enter into talks about how the scheme will work.

A statement from the eight said: “We have discussed the scheme with a number of other construction companies.

“We encourage participation from across the industry and would welcome interest from any company that had been a user of, or subscriber to, TCA.

“The companies involved in the scheme would support the introduction of a code of conduct to ensure nothing like this can happen within the construction industry again.”

Workers hit by the blacklist are currently pursuing compensation claims through the courts.

Sean Curran – partner at Guney Clark & Ryan solicitors for the High Court claim said:  “GCR cautiously welcomes the proposal for an industry wide compensation scheme.

“Our primary commitment is to achieve justice for the claimants we represent and we will not be diverted from this aim.

“We make it clear that we will not consent to any agreement that does not properly reflect the serious emotional and financial distress that our clients have so unjustifiably suffered.

“It is our hope that any proposal adequately reflects the injustice so inherent in the very concept of blacklisting.”

A spokesman for the Blacklist Support Group said:  “It is no coincidence that all of the companies signed up to Blacklisting Compensation Scheme are named defendants in the High Court claim.

“This is a cynical move intended to reduce corporate reputational damage.”