Derek Maylor Chairperson:

The Co-ord were pleased that the hard work instigated by Dave Joyce around dangerous dogs has been recognised by the Government and we will give the consultation our full attention. That’s not to imply that we treat any such safety issue lightly but some are a more direct concern to our members than others. John Southwell had raised issues with mobility scooters a year ago and that too is a consultation that we will be discussing and taking part in.

Climate change alongside the workplace environment is being considered by both BT / Royal Mail and the CWU nationally. Locally we are looking at setting up small teams of members to effect change at both work and at home. Small easy hit targets can be quickly achieved with a long term aim of sustainable change.

The Co-ord was invited to the “Fathering and Worklife Balance” report launch recently by the Economic and Social Research Council. It is worth noting that the continuous participation in national issues give both the Co-ord and the NW Safety Forum a recognised profile. However on this subject our main concern is that we don’t want to have good company policies that are merely stuck on an internet website and not adhered to for workers in the field.

Whilst the forthcoming general election, and its implications for workers safety, have been mentioned in other parts of this website it was interesting to hear Steve Kay [from HSE union Prospect] saying that whilst he expected some cuts under a future Labour Government - he feared that a Tory win would see a ritualistic public execution of the HSE for the entertainment of Daily Mail readers.

As always, and In conclusion, we aim to provide the best advice and representation for our members and to:

*Ensure a safe working environment
*Promote occupational health
*Help members raise safety concerns
*Advance industry best practice
*Provide representation at national meetings
*Raise issues with other safety or government bodies

Our greatest assets are our Union Safety Representatives and we fully support them in their work.