As reported on this website last month, in September the Tory Government announced that they had appointed an employer to one of the non-executive HSE board member seats, reserved for employee/worker representatives. Worse still, the individual concerned holds several directorships and is a retired CEO.
Following condemnation from the CWU, TUC and other Unions who argued strongly that the principle of an equal voice for employers and workers is enshrined in the Health and Safety at Work Act, in order to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of working people; the Government have been forced into a U-turn on the issue.
Here, CWU's National Health, Safety & Environment Officer, Dave Joyce brings us up to date with the situation and reports a success for the Trade Union movement and it's army of workplace health and safety reps:
Last month's appalling decision and blatant abuse of rules, that are there to ensure a fair balance between workers and bosses, outraged every UK Trade Union and was seen as a further attack on the ability of trade unions to protect the health and safety of working people.
The background to this is that the government commissioned Lord Robens Committee report of June 1972, made recommendations to the UK Government of the day which were endorsed and enacted in the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, which in turn established the Health and Safety Executive enforcement body and its controlling board.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 10(2), Schedule 2, entitled ‘Establishment of the Executive’, it states that the board (initially the Commission) should be a “Tripartite” body consisting of a Chairman, 3 members from employers, 3 members from employee/workers and up to 4 others from organisations such as local authorities and professional bodies.
It also stated that appointments would be subject to consultation.
Parliamentary debates of the day back in 1972/74 recorded that in the first place there will be consultation with the C.B.I., the T.U.C., local authorities and others concerned about how best to achieve the Robens objectives and that the role of the trade unions and consultation was to be greatly strengthened.
All of these HSE Board appointments however are qualified in the Act as follows “as he (the Minister) considers appropriate.”
This matter was also the subject of an emergency motion to TUC Congress in September, reported in detail in
my letter to (CWU) branches
LTB 571/2016 and supported by the CWU Delegation.
The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department, along with other Trade Unions, led by the TUC made strong representations against this decision at the highest level of government, to Ministers, MPs, DWP Officials and the HSE Chair and CEO.
I am pleased to report that on Friday a letter was received by the TUC from the DWP Secretary of State, Damian Green MP, confirming that the matter had been reviewed and the previous appointment cancelled.
The HSE board member seat, reserved for employee/worker representatives will be re-advertised for a new non-executive member to represent the interests of employees/workers on the HSE Board and that the TUC will be consulted by DWP in due course regarding the recruitment process.
It is appreciated that throughout this argument, the Trade Unions position has been supported by the HSE chair, Martyn Temple, and by other members of the HSE Board.
The TUC has thanked the CWU for its pro-active involvement and campaigning and those other Unions who have participated in strongly lobbying the government and others on this issue.
Source: LTB626/16 / CWU / Dave Joyce
See last months news item: DWP Gives Former Boss At Greggs The Employee Seat On The HSE Board
