NW BTU H&S Co-ord Responds To Tory's Attack On Working People's Health & Safety

Derek Maylor"Overall the 211 pages are full of right wing Tory think tank buzzwords stuck together with a cover on."

After last weeks intentional leak we have waited for the Tory’s and “Freeing Britain to Compete”, a lengthy 211 page document released at lunchtime today. Its contents were wholly predictable but non the less repulsive and although we do not get 100% of what we want from the current government – the alternative is unimaginable to working people.

They accuse us (p53) of “showing ignorance of how a competitive market works”, glibly claiming that we think bakers would put nails in our bread and brewers would water down our beer. Apart from being sickly patronising - leaving competition to sort out the market is not going to save lives or prevent injuries, you see we do know how a competitive market works.   

A sicker comment can be seen as part of the rationale for removing regulations (p54) in that the invention of the flexible brush made it unnecessary to send small boys up chimneys. Those of us wishing to protect workers are dismissed as “dreaming up new ways to make our lives a misery” (p56).

There are several mentions of too much European regulation harming British business and, contradictorily, as many references to European models of success such Holland who “concentrate on administrative cost”, (p57).

Freeing Britain or Private Interest?Of course the Tory’s claim that the Working Time Regulations make up a third of additional costs imposed on British businesses and should be repealed (p58). They presumably would prefer an 80-week for £2.00 an hour like security staff, cleaners etc used to be on prior to the WTR and the minimum wage. The Social Chapter – lets opt out again (p59) – remember that refers to part time workers, fixed term working, sex discrimination, consultation etc. More opt out’s (p62) shabbily saying “from the law factory”.  

Heath and Safety at Work Act – lets “make responses to RA’s more proportionate” (p60), or should that read “cheaper” ? Further claims that the inspection regime has no sense of proportion (p176) and “fails to consider business implications”. That is simply that it may cost a bit more to save a life or prevent a serious injury.

“It is not possible to live in a risk free world” (p154), no problem – that’s why we Risk Assess and then manage that risk, we do not as we are accused “strangle the vitality of society”. Anyway I thought Thatcher said there was no such thing as society.

Overall the 211 pages are full of right wing Tory think tank buzzwords stuck together with a cover on. Some of the suggestions, like reviewing the H & S W 1974 Act, have been rejected previously by Tories which shows how far to the right these people are drifting and how far back in time safety conditions will go for the working people of Britain if they ever get elected.

Derek Maylor
Chair
NW BTU H&S Co-ord


 
 
Icon: back to news
 

Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services