The Joint Union Asbestos Committee has called for transparency as a leaked report highlights DfE’s desire to scale back work on promoting effective asbestos management in schools.
A leaked report highlighted in the Guardian last month, ‘Asbestos Saving?’ has caused deep dismay among unions representing teaching and support staff in schools.
The confidential report suggests possible areas where cut backs at DfE headquarters could be made, including a suggestion that stakeholder involvement in raising awareness about the need to protect staff and children from the dangers of asbestos in schools should end, with the scrapping of the DfE Asbestos Steering Committee!
J
UAC Chair Julie Winn, said on the day the report was leaked:
"It is depressing, but not entirely surprising, to learn that the DfE is considering this move. Working together with the union, employer, and school governor representatives, as well as the asbestos experts, is the best way for the DfE to address this long-standing health issue.
The fact that the DfE is even considering such a move shows that it is not serious about its responsibilities and is more focused on silencing voices which challenge its view that the presence of asbestos in at least 75 per cent of our schools is not a problem.
If this is indeed the DfE’s intention, the forthcoming review of asbestos policy in schools is likely to be a complete sham, with the conclusion being that asbestos in schools is not a problem and therefore consultation with stake holders is not necessary. We profoundly disagree with such a cynical approach."
Unionsafety published a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational
Health and Safety last year entitled ‘Asbestos in schools - The need for action’
which highlighted the very real Asbestos risks to pupils and their teachers in the country’s schools.
The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) was founded in 2010, and aims to protect education workers by raising awareness of asbestos in schools and promoting improved management of asbestos in education sector buildings.
The JUAC members are representatives from ASCL, ATL, NASUWT, NAHT, NUT, Voice, UNISON, Unite the Union, UCATT and GMB.
Source: NUT / Unionsafety
You can download the report ‘Asbestos in schools - The need for action’ from the E-Library database. Select category 'Asbestos' from the drop down menu.
