Workers Die When Government Says Work Safety Isn’t Important

It’s Dead Wrong! - Kill TU Bill Not The Workers.

The Hazards Campaign is marching on Sunday4thOctober because of fears we will not survive another 5 years of Tory attacks on workers lives and health. Hilda Palmer, Hazards Campaign says:

“Workers die when government says work safety isn’timportant. It’s dead wrong. We won’t take work deaths lying down. None of us voted to die at work, so stop your wrong headed attack on workers safety. We aresending a postcard to David Cameron at the Tory Party Conference:

‘Dear PM,

Your policies on health andsafety, trade union and employment rights are dangerous for workersand damaging to our economy.

We urge you to abandon this vindictiveand potentially deadly assault on basic human rights, yoursfaithfully, Hazards Campaign.’”

Hilda explains:

“We are worried because in just one term the Conservatives have abandoned routine safety inspections;

slashed the Health and SafetyExecutive (HSE) budget by nearly 44%;

pimped out HSE to commercial interests; killed off the HSE medical division;

stacked the HSE board with industry stooges;

pulled the teeth of gangmasters’watchdog;

priced sick and injured workers out of compensation claims;

made employment tribunals pay per go;

removed key legal protections;

told business that health and safety is a burden that shouldn’t concern them."

She asked:

“What more harm will they cause in another5 years?

Immediately on re-election they introduced the TU Bill which will harm workers’ ability to protect their health and safety at work, will also cost employers and the economy, and may lead to more worker deaths and ill health."

Referring to Sunday's People's Assembly March in Manchester where the Tories are holding their annual conference, Hilda said:

"Marching with us on Sunday in Manchester are families of those killed by employers’ negligence, which is likely to get worse if the TU Bill is passed.” 

 Joanne Hill, mother of 16 year old Cameron Minshull, killed by grossly negligent employer in Bury while on a government funded apprenticeship in 2013 said:

 “Cameron should have been safe at work, thegovernment should have been checking the employer was fit to have anapprentice like Cameron, but he wasn’t, it was a death trap.

We will never see Cameron again and I hold his employer and the government to blame.

Only days before Cameron was killed, David Cameron was telling business leaders that health and safety regulations to protect young people were silly and unnecessary and should be scrapped.

I am very worried that other young people are at risk on apprenticeships and will die or be injured. I want David Cameron to meet me and discuss what needs to be done to keep our sons and daughters safe at work.

He has children too, surely he will understand and not want to make it easier for people like Cameron’s employer to hurt and kill our children?”

Tracey Seward says:

“Our 4 year old daughter Daisy can’t see her dad anymore, she can only water the flowers on his grave as he was killed at work earlier this year. That shouldn’t happen to anyone’s child, to be left without their dad just because he went to work to earn a living to look after us. We are devastated at his death.”

Hilda Palmer added:

“Will we survive another 5 years of Tory attacks on the laws and enforcement meant to keep workers safe and healthy at work?

28.2million working days are lost to injuries and illnes scaused by work. Union safety reps make workplaces twice as safe by working with employers to prevent injuries and illness, but the TU Bill threatens to stop them having time and resources to carry out their life-saving work.

Safety reps not only save workers lives and health they also save employers’ money and the economy too!

Less than 0.8 million days are lost to strikes which this Bill aims to make harder, compared to 28.2 million days lost due to injuries and illness caused by poorly managed health and safety. That shows that the TU Bill is wrong-headed, vindictive and potentially deadly and it must be stopped. No-one should die simply for going to work to earn a living.”

Hazards Campaign says to David Cameron:

“Workers die when government says work safety isn’t important. It’s dead wrong. We won’t take work deaths lying down. None of us voted to die at work, so stop deregulating, stop slashing enforcement and adopt a positive programme for good workplace safety that is good for workers and their families, good for business, good for the economy, good for all! Kill the Bill not the Workers.”.

Further information :

Hazards Magazine: Unions challenge wrong-headed government attack that could cost lives: Read here

TU Bill Threats to health and safety: Read here

Hazards Magazine: ‘Workers die when government says work safety isn’t important: Cameron Minshull Killed here
         
HazardsCampaign plan: ‘Step up and act up for health and safety’ Read it here

Source: Greater Manchester Hazards

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