Government Plans To Change The Animals Act Puts Postal Workers At Risk Says CWU

Government plans to 'water-down' the 1971 Animals Act which would make it more difficult for victims to secure compensation from animal keepers and the owners of dogs that have injured Postal workers has been publicly attacked by the 250,000 strong Communication Workers Union that represents 70,000 Royal Mail and Parcelforce  Postmen and Women who deliver 80 million items a day across the UK. 

The Government admits in a recent Defra consultation document that the proposed changes may result in victims who are currently able to pursue successfully a claim for compensation not being able to do so in future under their plans.

The Act already makes such claims difficult says the CWU.

CWU members working as Royal Mail Postmen and Women suffer in the region of 6,000 dog attacks every year.  Several hundred of these attacks result in postal workers sustaining serious debilitating and disfiguring injuries along with deep physiological trauma. Two Postmen Paul Coleman from Sheffield and Keith Davies from Cambridge were nearly killed in separate incidents whilst delivering Christmas Mail.

Following these dreadful attacks the Union launched its current "Bite-Back" Campaign aimed at convincing the government to change the current Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and for the law to be backed up with better enforcement by the Police and local authorities, new prevention measures and getting courts to hand down harsher penalties.

The Union has won the support of the RSPCA who supporting the campaign.

A Private Members Bill introduced by Lord Redesdale in the House of Lords and Sheffield MP Angela Smith MP will have a 10 Minute Rule Bill heard in the House of Commons next month.

The CWU's National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce said:

"The Government stated from the outset that their general intention was to rebalance the law in favour of the victim. The proposals set out here do the reverse and tip the balance further away from the victim in favour of irresponsible animal owners. The CWU strongly supports the view that ‘strict liability’ should apply to all cases where harm or damage is caused by animals, in particular Dogs. What the government's proposals amount to is that if the owner says that he didn't expect it to cause injury or damage he has a defence. That's perverse in our view. With animals, the keeper must expect the unexpected and err on the side of caution. 

We all know that dogs have a mind of their own. It is often this "independence" that gets them and their owners into trouble. Therefore owners must be made to take account of this and be responsible for their actions and that of their animals and if they don't then they need to know that they'll be held to account. The CWU’s view is a simple one and that is that if a person wishes to own an animal, particularly a dog then they have a duty to ensure that it doesn’t cause personal injury and damage."

The CWU says that with an ever growing UK Dog Population of around 7.5 Million and increasing numbers of Dog Attacks, aggressive dogs and "Status Dogs" it's ludicrous for the government to support the perpetuation of a system that fails to protect Postal Workers and other public service and utilities workers plus members of the public whilst allowing, irresponsible, reckless and uninsured owners to escape both criminal and civil liability.

Around half a million people are treated in A&E Departments, GP Surgeries and minor injury clinics each year for Dog Attack injuries and the majority go unreported say the Union. There must be a significant cost of all this to the NHS which falls on the tax payer with irresponsible Dog owners and Insurers walking away Scot free say the CWU.  

Dave Joyce added "Not enough has been done to foster responsible dog ownership and irresponsible ownership is increasing ‘hand over fist’. There is a total lack of criminal and civil sanctions to deal with the irresponsible and the criminal animal keepers. The government’s proposals will make things worse."

In their formal response, the Union has pointed out to Defra some glaring blunders in their consultation document.

Dave Joyce explained "Defra say in the Consultation Document that when Postmen are injured when attacked by dangerous dogs the animals owners can be prosecuted under Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 plus under Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act compensation can be awarded to the victim and civil liability can also be pursued under the Animals Act or in negligence. We had to correct the Government in that 70% of the 6000 Postmen and Women attacked by dogs every year are attacked on private property where the Dangerous Dogs Act doesn't apply and the owners are therefore not prosecuted. The Postmen and Women can not therefore be awarded compensation under Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act."

The CWU also pointed out that Dogs in particular need to be looked at separately from Horses, Pigs, Cows and Sheep etc! kept at Farms, Riding Schools, Livery Yards, Zoos, Pony trekking Establishments and equestrian businesses etc.

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