UCATT to hold Midlands Safety Conference in Derby

Ucatt General Secretary Steve Murphy, left,
 who will be addressing tomorrows conference

Construction union UCATT are holding their first ever regional health and safety conference this Friday (March 23^rd). The conference which is titled Changing Lives, Saving Lives will be held at Derby County FC’s Pride Park stadium and will involve over 50 of UCATT’s regional safety representatives and partner organisations.
Construction is the most dangerous industry in the UK. In 2010/11 a total of 50 construction workers were killed at work, 6 of those deaths were in the Midlands.

The conference will allow UCATT representatives, to discuss their experiences, identify the training they need to improve their knowledge and work with employers to secure safer workplaces It will also lead to the establishment of a regional health and safety forum.
Speakers at the conference will include: Glenis Willmott MEP, Steve Murphy General Secretary of UCATT, Rob Johnson Regional Secretary of the Midlands TUC, and a representative from Families Against Corporate Killing.

Steve Murphy, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “Safety reps are at the frontline of keeping construction workers safe. This conference is about ensuring that they have the appropriate skills to perform that role.”

Cheryl Pidgeon Regional Secretary for UCATT Midlands Region, said: “This conference is a starting point to improve workplace safety throughout the Midlands. If the life of a single construction worker is saved as a result of this conference it will have been more than worthwhile.”

For Further information contact Barckley Sumner on 0780 2329235

TUC dismisses Downing Street health and safety claims

Dismissing Downing Street claims today (Thursday) that UK businesses are in a "stranglehold" of health and safety 'red tape' and compensation claims, Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Rob Johnston said: "This shows just how out of touch with the reality of working life Number 10 is. Every government report on the UK's supposed compensation culture has shown it to be a myth, and in fact claims have been declining over the past decade. Despite this the government seems hell-bent on trying to stop workers injured by their employers' negligence being able to claim compensation.
"Workers will be astonished by the claim that there is an "excessive health and safety culture that has become an albatross around the neck of British businesses". The truth is that there are two million people in the UK who have an illness or injury caused by their work - the vast majority of which could have been prevented had their employer had taken the correct safety precautions.
"Nor do businesses "battle against a tide of risk assessment forms every year". The vast majority of employers never carry out any kind of written risk assessments, and for those that do, there is easy-to-understand advice available from the Health and Safety Executive on how to do them.
"It is clear that Downing Street does not have a clue about what life is like for the millions of ordinary people who work in shops, offices, schools, factories, call centres and other workplaces across the UK. Instead it is making policy in response to grumbles from elements of the small business lobby and the risible rantings of right-wing commentators."

Health and Safety Parliamentary Lobby and Rally - Tuesday 10th May, 14:30-16:30, Committee Room 14

The GMB has organised the above event to discuss the impact of the Government's changes to health and safety policy on workers. Invited speakers include Peter Hain, Jim Sheridan, Chuka Umunna, Lord McKenzie of Luton, Len McCluskey and Dave Prentis. The forthcoming review of health and safety legislation, combined with the budget cuts to the Health and Safety Executive and Local Authorities, will have far reaching consequences for workplace health and safety. The rally will hear views from across the labour movement, and identify priorities for political action.
Further information is available on request from the GMB National Health and Safety Department - John McClean (01462 492400; john.mcclean@gmb.org.uk) and Dan Shears (0208 971 4246; daniel.shears@gmb.org.uk).