Tag Archives: tuc

UK: Preparing for the return to work outside the home – TUC

Preparing for the return to work outside the home

Summary of recommendations

This TUC report, Preparing for the return to work outside the home: a trade union approach, sets out what we believe the government must do now to ensure a safe transition from lockdown, looking at how to safely return to work outside the home, the enforcement measures needed to protect workers, and how best to protect workers’ livelihoods.

  • The government must ensure that workers’ mental health and wellbeing is prioritised alongside physical safety.
  • The government must run a public information campaign to ensure working people can be confident that health and safety at work is a priority as they return to work.
  • Every employer must carry out a specific Covid-19 risk assessment.
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be provided where necessary, and no-one should be asked to re-use PPE inappropriately.
  • Government must provide specific advice and protection for those groups most at risk.
  • The EHRC must ensure that the return to work strategy seeks to prevent this disproportionate impact and complies with the public sector equality duty.
  • Unions should be consulted when the government prepares sector-specific guidance, and when employers seek to implement it.
  • The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) must act quickly to sanction employers that do not risk-assess for Covid-19 or fail to provide safe working arrangements.
  • The HSE must run a public information campaign to ensure workers know their rights.
  • No worker should face a sanction for refusing to work in an unsafe workplace.
  • Government must ensure the job retention scheme continues to protect jobs.
  • Those who lose their jobs must be protected by a strengthened safety net.
  • We need decent sick pay for all
  • Government must ban zero-hours contracts, tackle false self-employment, and guarantee all workers day-one employment rights.

    read full list of recommendations

Download full report (pdf)

https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/preparing-return-work-outside-home-trade-union-approach

UK: Organising through the coronavirus crisis – TUC

Here are the UK national union confederation TUC’s top organising tips. The TUC says “whether it’s saving workers’ jobs or protecting their health and safety, it’s essential we organise. Social distancing measures just mean we need to do it a little differently.”

Read the full article here.

 

28 April: United Kingdom: Workers’ Memorial Day | TUC

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don’t die of mystery ailments, or in tragic “accidents”. They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn’t that important a priority. Workers’ Memorial Day (WMD) commemorates those workers.

Each year on April 28th, all around the world the trade union movement unites to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day (#IWMD20). We remember those who have lost their lives at work, or from work-related injury and diseases. We renew our efforts to organise collectively to prevent more deaths, injuries and disease as a result of work.

Workers Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and is officially recognised by the UK Government.

Theme for 2020: Coronavirus

This year we are all working in unique circumstances, as the coronavirus pandemic affects every worker regardless of sector or locality. Hundreds have lost their lives to the virus while working on the frontline, acting to protect the public and to keep society running. Workers are risking their lives every day, while many are still attending work ill-equipped and without necessary safety measures in place. We could not have a starker reminder of the important role of trade union health and safety reps in saving and protecting workers’ lives.

We remember those we have lost. We organise in their memory.

While we may not be able to attend the memorial events which usually take place on IWMD, as public gatherings around the world are not advised or allowed; there are many ways trade union members can take part in our collective day of remembrance and solidarity.

How you can take part…

Light a candle

Join others across the world by lighting a candle on the evening of Tuesday 28th April. It may be for a loved one, a worker, a group of workers or for all those who have lost their lives from work. Take a photo of your candle, and with a caption about who you’re remembering, post it on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using #IWMD20.

Register for our video call

The TUC Education team will be hosting a video call at 2pm on the day, where you will be able to hear from speakers and submit questions and contributions in advance. Put the time in your diary and registration will be available via soon.

Coming Soon – downloadable #IWMD posters, social media graphics and video. 

https://www.tuc.org.uk/workers-memorial-day

Britain: 10 things you can do now to organise on coronavirus at work | TUC

TUC briefing

  1. Unionise

If you haven’t already, join a union. If you’ve already joined, organise. If that means in isolation, so be it – invite colleagues to a video call or WhatsApp group. Regardless of how big your union is, or whether it’s recognised or not, you should be having union meetings about coronavirus. Whether it’s redundancy, pay or PPE, every single worker has something to negotiate right now.

  1. Audit your contract

Check your contracts and staff handbooks for relevant clauses to clarify your rights and responsibilities. You may have questions around working from home, the sickness management policy, maternity rights and other entitlements, so carry out an audit of yours and your colleagues contracts to see where you stand. Make sure you’re including any agency workers in that as they may have very different terms and conditions.

If you think your employer is breaching your contract, or if they are asking you to go in when it is against government or medical advice, contact your union’s legal teams now.

  1. Demand to be consulted

If your bosses are drawing up policies around the response to coronavirus, make sure they’re speaking to the union. Employers have a legal duty to consult established health and safety reps and committee, and reps have the right to play an active role in risk assessments.

  1. Fight for 100%

Across the country, ‘furloughed’ workers on the government’s Jobs Retention Scheme are going to be faced with the possibility of a 20% cut in pay unless their employer agrees to top up the government’s wage subsidy. Other workers affected by school closures are faced with unpaid parental leave as they take time to care for their kids. This is a huge battle and unions are playing a major role in negotiating in workplaces.
– Watch our webinar on wage subsidy.
– Read our blog What are the rules if you’re temporarily laid off?

  1. Shame bad bosses

Employers cutting pay, laying people off, or opening their workplace without the necessary distancing or hygiene measures need to be called out. For especially hostile bosses, public pressure from the outside can support union organising on the inside. Campaigns like #BoycottWetherspoons ran by BFAWU members or #ShutTheSites by Unite activists can threaten the reputational damage of businesses and force a U-turn.
–  If you have concerns about how your employer is responding to coronavirus, please tell us.

  1. Demand Safety

Bosses need to take seriously the calls for distancing, cleanliness and hygiene. The law is clear on the welfare provisions you should have access to. We need sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing to front-line workers – especially health and social care. More people will die if this call is not met. We need the government to urgently issue scientific advice on PPE to all key workers, direct enforcement agencies to take appropriate action – and to ensure those who flout to law are penalised. Read our blog Bosses who fail to protect their workers must pay the penalty.

If you are working from home, you still need to think about safe working conditions. Repetitive strain injury is a serious workplace hazard, and unions should demand no worker is out of pocket from purchasing equipment to support their posture etc.

  1. Support retired members

Many trade union members already been involved in setting up and supporting mutual aid groups which demonstrate the strength and solidarity of our movement. Many unions have retired members branches, whose members may not be as plugged in to online channels but may well fall into the more vulnerable category. Reach out to branches and ask what kind of work your union members can be doing to bring support to them.

  1. Keep in touch

It’s important to maintain lines of communication both with management and with each other. At a time when many of us are working in isolation, it’s easier for bosses to play divide and rule. Guard against it and keep in touch regularly, reporting any new developments. For your own mental health, too, maintaining a network of colleagues who you can check in with will help bring some familiarity to your day.

  1. Take action

We may not be able to hold protests and rallies at the moment, but workers can still take action. Last Friday saw one union branch walk off the job over safety concerns as bosses refused to close the non-essential workplace. In Ireland nearly 1,000 union members walked off a food production site protesting the lack of safety measures. Whether it be an open letter, petition or downing of tools, your union will be able to advise you on the best way to take, and to escalate, action.

  1. Remember them

As the coronavirus crisis carries on, people are dying. Every day. Many of those around the world losing their lives to this virus are the workers on the front-line in health, education, transport, retail and other sectors.

This month is International Workers’ Memorial Day- marked every year on April 28th. Put the date in your diary and sign up to TUC mailing (sign up in the footer below) to be involved in our online memorial. While we mourn those who have passed, we mobilise to ensure not another life is lost to work.

Protecting workers’ safety in the coronavirus pandemic, TUC report, 3 April 2020.

Shelly Asquith
TUC health and safety policy officer

Britain: Employers must keep workers safe or get shut down, says TUC

  • UK union federation TUC calls for government to publish tough new rules about safety for businesses that are staying open – and to close them down if they won’t comply.
  • Workers who fear for their safety shouldn’t face punishment or dismissal, says union body.
  • Firms should agree risk assessments with union health and safety reps.

More

Britain: What are you planning for Workers’ Memorial Day?

The TUC is going to start listing events for the 28 April 2018 Workers’ Memorial Day. The theme is “Unionised workplaces are safer workplaces.” The national union body is urging organisation to send details of all local, regional or national events to be included on the online listing. According to the TUC: “As Workers’ Memorial Day is on a Saturday this year it may be that some workplaces will aim to have the two-minutes’ silence or other event on Friday 27 April. However other events should still be scheduled for 28 April.”
TUC 28 April 2018 webpages. Email details of events to the TUC health and safety officeRisks 83320 January 2018

Get ready for International Workers’ Memorial Day 2017

This year’s International Workers Memorial Day will focus on inequalities in occupational health and the role unions play in narrowing the inequalities gap.

The TUC says this theme for the world’s largest health and safety campaign, held on 28 April each year, will allow unions to raise discrimination based on gender, race, origins and class, which have all been linked to higher rates of occupational disease and injury.

It also allows unions to emphasis the unacceptable risks facing workers in the ‘gig’ economy, where the combination of poor conditions and job fear can amplify risks.

International Workers’ Memorial Day – TUC and ITUC/Hazards 28 April webpages. The main twitter hashtag will be #iwmd17

Wales: Workers Memorial Day 2016

Date and time of event:

Thu 28 Apr 2016 – 11:00 to 12:30

Venue and town/city: Cardiff

Costs: Free

About this event:

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don’t die of mystery ailments, or in tragic “accidents”. They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn’t that important a priority. Workers’ Memorial Day (WMD) commemorates those workers.

Workers’ Memorial Day is held on 28 April every year, all over the world workers and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day.

The day is also intended to serve as a rallying cry to “remember the dead, but fight for the living”.

In 2016 the theme for the day is “Strong Laws – Strong enforcement – Strong Unions” because across the world we are seeing growing attacks on health and safety protection, including in Britain where the Government have removed protection form millions of self-employed workers, and across Europe where the European Commission are pursuing a dangerous de-regulatory strategy. However strong laws are not enough if they are not going to be enforced. That is why we need proper inspections and enforcement action against those who break the laws. Here in the UK the number of inspections has fallen dramatically in the past five years, however in many other countries enforcement has always been non-existent. That is why we also need strong unions. Unionised workplaces are safer, yet the Government is trying to stop unions protecting the health and safety of their members by restricting the right of health and safety representatives to take time off to keep the workplace safer, and also trying to reduce our right to strike when things go wrong.

Information about the venue:

The event will be held at 1 Cathedral Rd, Cardiff at 11 am until 12.30. A small buffet will be provided.

Contact for further information:

wtuc@tuc.org.uk

UK: TUC list of events for Workers’ Memorial Day 2015

UK national trade union federation TUC has published a regularly updated listing of Workers’ Memorial Day events across Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Over 20,000 people die in the UK every year because of their work. Most of these because of exposure to dangerous substances. This year the theme for the day is “removing exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace Hazardous substances are found in almost every workplace in the UK and many workers have no protection against the possible effects, despite the fact that tens of thousands of workers have their health destroyed by asthma, dermatitis, lung disorders and cancers because of exposures. They range from cleaning fluids in almost every workplace, silica dust in construction, tobacco smoke in prisons right through to blood and faeces in health and social care.

In addition to hazardous substances many unions and trades councils will be campaigning on the general theme of demanding better regulation, greater inspections and an end to the anti-health and safety rhetoric from the government and their allies in the press.

https://www.tuc.org.uk/WMD2015