FACK And Construction Unions Protest Against Grayling Plans To Cut Safety Protection Laws

Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) joined forces with the Battersea Crane Disaster Group, the Construction Safety Campaign, Unite, and UCATT to protest outside the offices of the Department of Work and Pensions, earlier this month.

Pressure groups and trades unions came together to protest against the Government’s decision to revise, consolidate, or withdraw 15 Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs) by the end of next year.

The protesters challenged Employment minister Chris Grayling to step outside of his office to face the families of victims who have died in workplace incidents. No prizes for guessing his response to that! Speeches were delivered by Union reps and FACK, urging the Government to strengthen safety regulation rather than cut it.

FACK co-founder Hilda Palmer told attacked the Government for cutting the HSE’s budget, which, she said, has resulted in the watchdog becoming “reactive rather than proactive in dealing with unsafe work practices”.

Secretary of the Construction Safety Campaign, Tony O’Brien, told the 40-strong crowd of protesters that an early-day motion has been signed by 12 MPs to challenge the decision to remove the Notification of Tower Cranes Regulations. The consultation on this, plus 11 other sets of Regulations and one Act, ends tomorrow (4 July).

He said: “We are calling for as many MPs as possible to sign this early-day motion. For those of you here today, if you haven’t already done so, please contact your local MP and urge them to sign the motion.

“The removal of these Regulations will lead to more deaths, and this is the first of many protests to highlight our concerns over this issue.”

You can view a video of the protest below:

Source: FACK / SHP

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