CWU Slams 'Disastrous' Tory Health and Safety Plans
27th October 2009
CWU Slams 'Disastrous' Tory Health and Safety Plans
The CWU has added its voice to the long list of Unions slamming the Tory Party's latest health and safety plans.
Now that the party conference season has ended, clear differences can be seen between the Labour party and the Conservatives on health and safety regulation.
The Conservative Party heard speeches attacking health & safety laws and repeating the party's threats to remove and weaken safety legislation which would inevitably lead to workers being put at greater risk of injury, ill health and death at work.
Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke's Conservative Party conference speech indicated that the Tory party's clear intentions to attack and water down health and safety standards of protection for workers hasn't let up!
The series of dramatic attacks on health and safety at work protection go back some time. The first indications came in the 2004 Tory Deregulation report entitled "Reversing the Drivers of Regulation" Produced by John Tate and Greg Clark of the Conservative Research Department Policy Unit. It listed a whole raft of health and safety laws that would be targeted for the chop completely or be watered down to such an extent they become worthless under a future Tory Government - on the 'Hit List' for 'Urgent Review with the aim of liberating businesses from the burden of what was termed "unnecessary regulations" were the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety At Work Regulations, the Fire Precautions Regulations, the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations, the Dangerous Substances and Explosives Atmospheres Regulations and The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. The Report recommended that a programme of year on year law repeals should be introduced and that a future Tory Health and Safety Minister should explain to the public why it's not possible to create a risk free world and a risk free workplace. The report signalled a continuation of cheap deaths at work and a return to the old attitude of "accidents will happen".
In 2007, Tory right-winger John Redwood unveiled a controversial plan to sweep away a plethora of health and safety laws and regulations including employers health and safety at work duties and risk assessment requirements which he said was impeding business. Tory Party leader David Cameron subsequently endorsed the plans.
In March of 2007 Tory leader David Cameron had showed his hand when he personally launched an attack on health and safety regulations designed to protect construction workers but it brought a swift reaction from the Trade Unions. Cameron put down an Early Day Motion number 1151 calling for the new Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations 2007 to be "annulled". Needless to say his EDM received little support and barely raised a dozen Tory signatures.
At the 2008 Tory party conference, Michael Gove Shadow Spokesperson for Children Schools and Families made it clear that the Tory attacks on health & safety legislation remained high on their agenda, describing health and safety as 'absurd'. Gove even involved plans for removing legislation which covered school children's safety and First Aid. Cameron subsequently continued the attack in his leaders Conference speech saying "This attitude, this whole health and safety culture has infected every part of our life," he informed the rapt Tory audience. "Teachers can't put a plaster on a child's grazed knee without calling a first aid officer.".
At this years 2009 Conservative Party Conference Ken Clarke announced plans to allow firms to opt-out from official health and safety control by the HSE, introducing 'self-regulation' and allowing employers to regulate their own health and safety, allowing them to close the door to on official HSE Inspectors. Clarke added "there's too many Inspectors of one kind or another". The full details are published in Clarke's report "Regulation In The Post-Bureaucratic Age".
The Tory policy of public services spending cuts would no doubt fall heavily on the HSE as it did mercilessly under the last Tory administration which adopted the approach of where it couldn't weaken EU Health and Safety Law it simply weakened its enforcement in the UK.
Reminding people of the dangers of a future Tory government and
its threat to health and safety, CWU Health and Safety Officer Dave
Joyce said "These latest Conservative proposals are very
disturbing. It would prove disastrous for workers. Workers
therefore need to think very carefully about the prospects of a
Tory Government after the forthcoming election. The HSE isn't
perfect, but at least it is independent and trusted by the
workforce and it carries 'legal enforcement powers and
sanctions". Dave added "These now annual policy
announcements go to show the Tories true colours. They are the
party of the bosses and by cutting 'red tape' for employers
they will be putting the lives and health of workers at risk.
Decades of struggle by workers and their Unions have resulted in
significant improvements in working conditions. But the toll of
workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths remains enormous. The
Tories plans would be 'disastrous' for workers health and
safety and a recipe for more avoidable deaths and injuries at work
and catastrophic events such as Buncefield and the Stockline
explosion which killed 9 and injured 33 workers. The Tories should
be focusing on preventing accidents and deaths rather than looking
at ways of saving money for the employers at any cost."
