Risks

issue no 212 - 25 June 2005

Editor: Rory O'Neill of Hazards magazine. Comments to the TUC at healthandsafety@tuc.org.uk.

CONTENTS

• Union news: Government urged to go the last step on smoking * Gangmaster draft offers 'sanctuary for slave labourers' * Injured train driver wins disability case * University support staff are suffering abuse * Voice loss threat to call centre workers * Retailers told to keep their cool * Firefighters back bill to protect emergency workers

• Other news: Safety minister calls for sick leave action * Women bear the brunt of back pain * NHS stress levels 'very high and very real' * Long hours peril in the NHS * Sleep deprivation danger highlighted * Massive occupational asthma risk is revealed * The deadly cost of asbestos * £1m damages for injured window cleaner * BBC’s big workplace health challenge

• International news: Australia: Unions back silicosis enquiry * Japan: New high for work suicide and mental illness * USA: Don’t just lie down, act up! * USA: Union irons out laundry firm’s resistance

• Resources: Campaigning for healthier casinos

• Events and courses: TUC courses for safety reps

Risks is the TUC’s weekly online bulletin for safety reps and others, read each week by over 11,000 subscribers and 1,500 on the TUC website. To receive this bulletin every week, click here. Past issues are available. This edition contains Useful links TUC courses for safety reps Disclaimer and Privacy statement.

UNION NEWS

Government urged to go the last step on smoking

The TUC, health organisations, safety enforcers and employers have all urged to government to ensure its proposed workplace smoking ban covers all workers, including those in bars and clubs. The calls came as the government began its consultation on plans to ban smoking in many public places in England. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber congratulated the government on the move, but said 'the exemptions for pubs and bars not serving food will leave workers in around 30,000 pubs and private clubs no better protected.' He added: 'Simply banning smoking at the bar is not enough, smoke from a distance will still find its way into a bar workers’ lungs. The government needs to go that last little step and make the ban complete.' British Medical Association deputy chair Dr Sam Everington also urged the government to introduce a total ban. He said: 'Given it is acknowledged that secondhand smoke kills, the lives and health of employees must be the priority. It should not matter where an employee works. Whether someone works in an office or a non-food pub, they have a right to have their health protected at work.' CIEH, the organisation representing the environmental health officers who will have to enforce the law in many workplaces including pubs and clubs, described the proposals as 'hideous' and 'a dog’s breakfast'. Director of policy Ian Foulkes criticised the notion of no smoking bar areas in pubs where smoking was allowed. 'It's the equivalent of a peeing and non-peeing area of a swimming pool,' he said. The TUC has created a website to allow pub and club workers to submit their views on the government’s proposals.

TUC news release . Department of Health news release . CIEH news release . BMA news release . ASH news release . Forum of Private Businesses news release . Department of Health consultation document - deadline for comments 5 September 2005.

The Guardian . BBC News Online . Sky News . The Times .

Hazards news and resources on workplace smoking issues .

Speak up! TUC online letter calling for protection for bar and club workers .

Gangmaster draft offers 'sanctuary for slave labourers'

Unions have warned that gaps in the proposed licensing system for gangmasters and agencies will leave thousands of temporary, mainly migrant, workers vulnerable to exploitation. A TUC submission to the government's consultation on the licensing regulations - due to come into force next year - says TUC is concerned that ministers intend to limit the scheme to those agencies and individuals providing staff to work in abattoirs and fruit and vegetable picking and packing. The TUC would like to see all agencies and gangmasters providing manpower for secondary processing - making of snacks and crisps, meat pies and sausages, as well as bread and cakes - covered by the new regulations. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Only a scheme covering both primary and secondary processing will be robust enough to deter those ruthless individuals who are currently making a lot of money from exploiting large numbers of mainly foreign, temporary workers.' Food and agriculture union TGWU said the government proposals would cause widespread confusion and could offer 'a sanctuary for slave labourers'. Chris Kaufman, TGWU national secretary for agriculture and a member of the Gangmaster Licensing Authority, said: 'Blanket exclusions will create rat runs for rogue operators who will pack up operations in the licensed sectors and pour into the unlicensed sectors where the new law will have no reach. Vulnerable workers and decent, law-abiding employers will continue to suffer and the enforcement agencies will face an impossible job in implementing the law'. GMB also called on the government to regulate gangmasters in all areas of employment. Jude Brimble, national officer for food and leisure, said: 'For too long the agencies and employers who exploit migrant workers have enjoyed a virtual amnesty under the law, while migrant workers have been criminalised for trying to feed their families. This must stop.'

TUC news release and full submission to the consultation on the Draft Gangmasters (Exclusions) Regulations 2005 . TGWU gangmasters campaign webpage. GMB news release and full submission [ pdf ]. BBC News Online . Defra gangmasters consultation document .

Injured train driver wins disability case

An injured Virgin Trains driver has been awarded £41,000 in disability discrimination damages at an employment tribunal in Exeter. Martyn Hazelhurst claimed the company failed to make adjustments while he was recovering from an injury suffered in a rail crash. He claimed that under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) the company should have done more to help him to return to light duties after a knee operation. Mr Hazelhurst, 38, suffered the injury when he was involved in a train crash at a level crossing in 2000. Keith Norman, acting general secretary of train driver's union ASLEF, said that while he was pleased the union had won the case, he regretted that it had ever been necessary. 'No amount of money really compensates for the injuries Mr Hazelhurst has suffered or the way he has been treated by Virgin,' he said, adding 'Martyn would not have been in this situation if it hadn't been for his original injury caused by a lorry on an open level crossing. Our union is pressing for technology to be placed in cabs that will transmit pictures of the line two miles ahead.' Vaughan Gething, of Thompsons Solicitors, who represented Mr Hazelhurst, said: 'This is a positive approach by the employment tribunal exactly as envisaged by the disability legislation. Virgin will hopefully respond accordingly and both they and Martyn will have a productive future together.' The tribunal took the unusual step of saying it would make recommendations in relation to the ‘adjustments’ that Virgin should make under the DDA to allow Mr Hazelhurst to return to work.

ASLEF news release . Thompsons Solicitors news release . BBC News Online .

University support staff are suffering abuse

Non-teaching staff in higher education are facing shocking levels of abuse from managers, colleagues and students, according to a union survey. UNISON says its poll of more than 1,100 cleaners, porters and librarians found around 20 per cent had faced some form of violence - 84 per cent reported serious verbal abuse and 15 per cent said they had suffered a violent attack. The study revealed that 6 per cent had been threatened with a weapon. A third of women responded that they had experienced sexual harassment while 20 per cent of minority ethnic groups surveyed had faced some form of racism. 'Support and professional staff are treated poorly by managers, colleagues and students,' said UNISON education services head Christina McAnea. 'The sector needs to look long and hard at how it treats and protects its staff.' Three quarters of respondents reported that the workload and pressure had increased, while 80 per cent said that they have been given additional duties and responsibilities and over 40 per cent said that this was due to pressure to meet targets. More than 40 per cent reported that the number of staff has decreased and a third reported an increase in the use of temporary or agency staff. UNISON says the result has been that 40 per cent reported increased stress levels. It says worsening employment conditions have led to two-thirds reporting morale has worsened and half saying they have considered leaving their jobs.

UNISON news release . The Guardian . BBC News Online .

Voice loss threat to call centre workers

Many thousands of workers are talking their way out of a job, as voice loss threatens the livelihood of one in 50 call centre workers, according to the union UNISON. Delegates at UNISON’s energy conference in Glasgow heard 860,000 people work in UK call centres and they are coming under the shadow of a new industrial disease that can cause permanent voice damage. Estimates suggest voice loss already costs the country £200m a year and the figure is set to double in the next 10 years as the number of call centres increase ( Risks 183 ). Dave Prentis, general secretary of UNISON, said: 'For years employers ignored the dangers of asbestos and denied that RSI existed, with the result that workers and companies paid a high price. Now call centres are in danger of falling into the same trap by ignoring the growing risk of voice loss in the workforce.' He added: 'Call centres are a voice-driven industry and employers need to protect that most precious asset now, or face the human and legal consequences later. Call centre managers have been warned - they cannot feign ignorance of the problem - and they cannot afford to bury their heads in the sand. UNISON is demanding urgent action before the problem spirals out of control.' UNISON delegates agreed six key demands to cut the risk of voice loss: Regular voice breaks averaging at least five minutes of non-vocal time per hour - at high volume call centres or where the work is very repetitive, more non-vocal time may be needed; easy access to fresh drinking water; the facility to prerecord introductions; measures to minimise background noise so that voices do not need to be raised; measures to ensure calls are rotated; and measures to ensure workers with colds or sore throats are rested from telephone work.

UNISON news release and news report . Western Mail . Cellular News .

Hazards online report on occupational voice loss , include jobs, symptoms and prevention guide. TUC WorkSmart voice loss advice .

Retailers told to keep their cool

Retail union Usdaw says Britain’s retailers need to keep their employees cool after the first hot spell of the summer left many shopworkers feeling hot under the collar in the blistering heat. Usdaw has already lobbied the government for a change in the law to introduce a legally enforceable maximum working temperature after scores of union members complained about soaring summer heat. 'Our members are telling us that temperatures on the shopfloor in some stores can be unbearable for workers and shoppers alike,' said Usdaw general secretary John Hannett. 'The fact there is not a legally enforceable upper limit makes it very confusing for responsible employers and allows bad employers to ignore serious health and safety concerns.' Hannett said the union is particularly concerned about pregnant women and the elderly who are at serious risk from high temperatures. 'We want the upper limit set at around 27 degrees celcius as anything above will lead to a serious risk of heat exhaustion,' he said. The union wants thermometers visible around stores, better ventilation - particularly extractors in hot kitchens, cold drinks for staff and the removal or shielding of any heat sources. According to Usdaw’s Hannett: 'The good news is that the government has agreed to create a national website offering advice on how to protect staff in extremely hot weather after pressure from Usdaw which is a step forward.'

Usdaw news release and Keep your cool guide .

Summer heat guides from TUC Worksmart , US safety watchdog OSHA , Canadian autoworkers’ union CAW and Australian union body VTHC .

Worksmart postcards: Send a sweltering worker a TUC cool work reminder .

Firefighters back bill to protect emergency workers

The firefighters’ union FBU is backing a move for a tougher sentencing law to protect emergency workers facing a 'daily diet' of bricks, missiles, punches and even bullets as they go about their work. Alan Williams, Labour MP for Swansea West, tabled the private members’ bill this week. It would make it a specific offence to assault staff including firefighters, ambulance crew and nurses. The move was prompted by research from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in April that showed reported attacks on fire crews were running at 40 a week and rising ( Risks 203 ). The union said recent attacks had included scaffolding poles being thrown through the windscreens of fire engines, crews being shot at, physical assaults on firefighters and equipment being stolen. Mr Williams has used as a template for his proposed legislation an act passed by the Scottish government earlier this year ( Risks 206 ). Though private members’ bills rarely survive the entire legislative process, Mr Williams hopes his will at least prompt the government to consider introducing its own bill in the near future. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack welcomed the emergency workers (protection) bill, warning that communities across the country would be put at risk if firefighters could not do their job because of violent assaults. 'The number and ferocity of the attacks seems to be getting worse,' he said. 'Many attacks are in deprived areas with poor youth facilities and poor housing, where bored young people turn to drugs and alcohol. But in some areas there seems to be a culture of recreational violence where fire crews are the targets.'

FBU news release . The Guardian .

OTHER NEWS

Safety minister calls for sick leave action

Health and safety minister Lord Hunt has urged managers to redouble their efforts to tackle workplace sickness absence. He told an employers’ symposium this week: 'Employers have a crucial role to play in reducing the number of people who become ill, and managing their return to work. Where sickness absence is not managed actively and employees are not rehabilitated, employers suffer the unnecessary loss of trained staff and the costs associated with this.' He said the estimated costs of work-related ill-health to employees in 2003/2004 were between £5.9 billion and £9 billion. Lord Hunt heads a cross-government Ministerial Task Force, set up to address the problem, which resulted in 29.8 million working days being lost due to ill-health. Lord Hunt said: 'I must stress that it would be wrong to demonise sickness absence. It is right that when people are genuinely sick they should not come to work - ‘presenteeism’ is not the objective. Those who are off work sick have the right to expect sensitive treatment and support. We are not seeking to attack genuine absence, but to bear down on the causes of sickness, to help those who are able to return to work to do so and to be responsive to those who have responsibilities outside.' He added: 'We need to ensure that organisations recognise that doing more to prevent people from falling ill at work and getting them back sooner, as well as discouraging abuse of absence, is a key component of their efficiency.'

DWP news release. IoD news release.

Hazards news and resources on sickness issues.

Women bear the brunt of back pain

Women suffer more back pain at work but are less likely to take time off, an official survey has found. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) poll also found women were less likely to tell their bosses they were in pain. Forty-nine per cent of female workers said they suffered from recurrent back pain, compared to 40 per cent of men. But women who suffer from back problems take an average of 10.4 days off per year, compared to their male colleagues who take 33 days sick leave a year for back pain. And only 52 per cent of women are likely to talk to their employer about their condition, compared to 60 per cent of men. HSE said back pain is causing women a great deal of suffering. Four out of ten said it had affected their ability to work and 31 per cent find it affects their ability to earn money. HSE’s Elizabeth Gyngell, head of better working environment at the HSE, said: 'The impact of back injury for women is enormous.' She added: 'In 2004, 205,000 women took time off work to recover from back injuries, and no doubt many more suffered in silence.'

BBC News Online. HSE better backs campaign. BackCare.

Is work bad for your back? Do some workplace detective work.

NHS stress levels 'very high and very real'

The NHS needs to do much more to tackle soaring levels of stress in the workplace, because of the huge human and financial costs, a top expert has said. Increasing workload, constant organisational change, pressure to meet targets, and inadequate support are the primary causes of stress in the public sector, said Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Lancaster. Addressing the NHS Confederation's annual conference, the professor said: 'This problem is not about whingers and malingerers. Stress levels are very high and very real.' He said the employer response was often 'punitive, with the assumption that the employee is at fault, rather than the organisation.' Julian Topping of NHS Employers, the new employers' organisation for the NHS, commented: 'We know that stress among staff is a serious problem in the NHS and that it has a huge impact, both personally on individual staff members and financially on employers.' He added: 'We also know that managers need more information and support on how to recognise and effectively deal with stress. That is why we have launched a campaign to tackle the issue [Risks 207]. Over the coming months we will be developing a range of tools to help both employers and staff prevent, identify and tackle the effects of stress. We will also be working to raise the profile of stress and its causes.' Dame Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, commented: 'This clearly is an issue which the NHS cannot afford to ignore. But it is not just a matter for NHS managers. Policy makers also need to be involved.'

NHS Confederation news release.

Hazards get-a-life news and resources.

Long hours peril in the NHS

The NHS shift system could be putting doctors and patients at risk, experts have warned. The European working time directive cut junior doctors' hours to a maximum of 13 a day, followed by an 11-hour break. But UK hospitals then reviewed shift patterns, and as a result many trainees were now working 91 hours over seven consecutive nights, the experts said. Writing in the British Medical Journal, experts from the Royal Free Hospital, London, warned doctors were exhausted. Led by Roy Pounder, professor of medicine at the Royal Free, they said: 'The directive aims to reduce working hours in order to improve workers' health and safety, but the current NHS shift system could threaten doctors' and, moreover, patients' safety.' The BMJ editorial cites one paper that this year 'reported that extended work shifts pose safety hazards for interns: the risk of any motor vehicle crash increased by 9 per cent while working those shifts, and the risk of a crash during commuting increased by 16 per cent' (Risks 191). It adds: 'All these adverse effects owing to exhaustion can be expected among British junior doctors forced to work a 91 hour week as a series of night shifts.' The editorial concludes: 'In every NHS night shift, certain health and safety measures could be implemented. A scheduled two hour rest period during the course of the night (with the bleep or pager taken by a medical shift partner) should not only reduce fatigue, but would also mean that, for the other 11 hours of the shift, doctors could reasonably be expected to be full and active members of the Hospital at Night team.'

Alice Murray, Roy Pounder, Hugh Mather, Dame Carol Black. Editorial: Junior doctors' shifts and sleep deprivation, British Medical Journal, volume 330, number 7505, page 1404, 18 June 2005. BBC News Online.

Sleep deprivation danger highlighted

Workers in Wales are at risk of accidents as they work longer hours and suffer sleep deprivation, a sleep expert has warned. Gwent Sleep Centre lead consultant, Melissa Hack, said lack of sleep was an increasing feature of life for workers. Ms Hack said one third of accidents in several industries had sleep deprivation as an underlying cause. Ms Hack, who is also an honorary senior lecturer in sleep medicine for the University of Wales, said shift workers are often most at risk from accidents as their regular sleeping rhythms are disrupted. She added: 'Today's 24-hour economy is pushing people to work longer hours and without proper information on the effects of sleep deprivation, workers are at risk of accidents, injury and depression. One third of accidents in the trucking industry, rail industry, marine industry and air industry have sleep deprivation as an underlying problem.' Ms Hack said that workers function better if they have regular breaks, healthy food and drinks, and bright lights in the workplace. She added she had studied nurses who did a full night shift, but then did not sleep during the day. Their performance on a driving simulator was characteristic of someone who had drunk several glasses of wine.

BBC News Online. Hazards worked to death webpages.

Massive occupational asthma risk is revealed

Work-related asthma is fast becoming one of the most commonly diagnosed occupational respiratory diseases in the US, a new study has found. An analysis of survey responses from nearly 21,000 adults, published in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health, revealed that men and women who work in printing or publishing, furniture or lumber, health care, and entertainment and recreation, were most likely to be diagnosed with asthma, as are those who work for automobile dealers and gas stations. 'This study stresses that workers employed in these industries need to be informed by the employer and aware that they are potentially exposed to asthmagens and the seriousness of their effect,' said study author Dr Ki Moon Bang of the US government occupational health research body NIOSH. According to the American Thoracic Society, an estimated 15 per cent of all adult cases of asthma may be related to the workplace. Based on this estimate, Bang and colleagues write, approximately 1.3 million adult asthma cases could be attributed to occupational exposure. 'This article should increase awareness among employers and workers about increased risk of asthma in specific industries,' said Bang. The US prevalence estimates are in line with those for the UK highlighted in the TUC’s 1995 book, Asthma at work: Causes, effects and what to do about them.

Ki Moon Bang, Eva Hnizdo, Brent Doney. Prevalence of asthma by industry in the US population: A study of 2001 NHIS data, American Journal of Public Health, volume 47, issue 6, pages 500-508, June 2005 [abstract]. Reuters Health.

Asthma at work: Causes, effects and what to do about them. Rory O’Neill, TUC, 1995. ISBN: 1 874751 02 1. £6.00 from TUC Publications.

The deadly cost of asbestos

The asbestos disease epidemic is continuing to exact a heavy price in communities across the UK. The charity Northeast Asbestos Support and Awareness Group (NASAG), formed in 2002, has already helped obtain over £1 million in compensation for victims of asbestos related diseases in the north east of England, with many more cases still to be settled. NASAG is one of a growing network of volunteer asbestos advice groups nationwide. 'The amount of compensation that we have helped to recover is a reflection on how badly the north east area has been affected by asbestos. But this is just scratching the surface as mesothelioma is now reaching epidemic proportions,' said NASAG’s Frank Gray. 'Each year, more people die of asbestos related diseases than in road traffic accidents.' Horrific cases of asbestos disease continued to attract a few lines in newspapers this week. Carlisle painter and decorator Alfred Nichols died aged 69 of pneumonia brought on by the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, an inquest heard. Navy veteran William Blackburn, 71, from Norwich, is disabled with asbestosis but has not been able to secure any compensation. In Bilston, the family of Doreen Bannister, who died aged 77 from mesothelioma, is hoping to track down ex-employees of Woden Transformers Ltd, to help a compensation case. The family of Dick Cook, a plumber’s mate from Worcester who died aged 56 from mesothelioma, are trying to locate ex-workers from Goodwin & Hammacott Ltd to assist their compensation claim.

Thompsons Solicitors news release. Cumbria News & Star. Norwich Evening News. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors news releases for the Doreen Bannister and Dick Cook cases.

Hazards Campaign listing of asbestos and other support groups. Hazards asbestos news pages.

£1m damages for injured window cleaner

A window cleaner who suffered devastating injuries when he fell from an unguarded flat roof has been awarded more than £1 million compensation at London's High Court. Anthony Marsh, 47, was cleaning windows at premises owned by pharmaceuticals giant Glaxo Smithkline Plc in Beckenham, Kent, when tragedy struck on 8 November 2000. He plummeted 20ft to the ground from an unguarded flat roof and sustained multiple broken bones, including a fractured skull, causing severe brain damage which prevents him from working and living independently. Judge Mr Justice Simon approved a compensation deal for Mr Marsh worth £1,003,646.

Barking and Dagenham Recorder.

BBC’s big workplace health challenge

The BBC is scouring the land for the UK’s healthiest employers. Between 6 June and 2 December 2005 it will be searching for nominations for five BBC 'Big Challenge' awards. Categories are: healthiest small employer (up to 49 employees); healthiest medium-sized employer (50-249 employees); healthiest large employer (more than 250 employees); most improved employer, for employers who make health a priority for the first time in 2005; and unsung hero, for people who have motivated colleagues to take steps to lead healthier lives. So if your employer is making genuine efforts to make the workplace healthier - not just telling you to eat well and exercise while working you into the ground in a cloud of dust and fumes - then you might want to consider putting their name forward. And if you know of any 'unsung heroes' out there - and there’s got to tens of thousands of union safety reps could fit into this category - make sure their name goes forward.

BBC Big Challenge website. The BBC Big Challenge Health Works Awards Pack is free and available to employers and employees. The pack includes application forms and information about the awards, an A1 office wallplanner highlighting some key health and sporting events in 2005 and a 'Working your way to health' booklet. You can order up to 20 packs by calling the dedicated phone orderline on 08700 100 150.

INTERNATIONAL

Australia: Unions back silicosis enquiry

Unions in Australia are warning of an explosion in the numbers affected by silica-related disease and have welcomed a Senate enquiry into the problem. Manufacturing union AMWU says it expects to see more silicosis claims emerge as workers exposed to sand dust in the 1970s start showing symptoms of the lung disease. The union's Queensland spokesperson, Andrew Dettmer, said while the condition is not as common as asbestosis, it affects a range of occupations in mining, manufacturing, sandblasting and other jobs where workers have been exposed to fine dust. 'We would expect that those people who weren't provided with proper protective gear and protective clothing in the 70s, that of those people who are victims, that some of them would be coming out soon.' And construction and mining union CFMEU says exposure to silica dust is a potentially deadly 'timebomb' for workers involved in excavation, tunnelling and stonemasonry. The union's New South Wales secretary, Andrew Ferguson, says silicosis could be similar to mesothelioma, the deadly disease caused by exposure to asbestos. 'We've had workers that have died of respiratory problems that probably weren't correctly diagnosed as being due to exposure to silica dust,' he said. This week it was announced there would be a Senate enquiry into the effects of silicosis on Australian workers. Thomas Faunce, senior lecturer in medicine and law at Australian National University, said sufficient documentation was available to justify the investigation. 'The evidence strongly suggests that the numbers of persons directly affected could number in the thousands,' he said.

CFMEU news release. Australian Democrats news release. Yahoo News. The Mercury News. ABC News. The Australian. Nine News.

Japan: New high for work suicide and mental illness

A record 130 people in Japan were eligible for workers' compensation for suicide or mental illness induced by stress and excessive work in 2004, according to latest labour ministry figures. The ministry reports a record 524 people applied for workers’ compensation after suffering from depression and other mental disorders during the fiscal year April 2004-March 2005. The number of people who killed themselves or attempted suicide due to excessive work reached an all-time high of 45, said the report. Of the 130 successful claims, those with professional jobs such as system engineers, nurses and doctors made up the largest group, with 43 cases. Women accounted for a record 35 per cent, or 46, of the 130 people eligible for the benefits. The number of people who became eligible for workers’ compensation for brain and heart illness (stroke and cardiovascular disease) induced by excessive work totalled 294, down 20 from the previous year, the report said. The 294 workers included 150 who died from overwork, down by eight, it said. However, the number of those with brain and heart illness who applied for workers' compensation in the year increased by 74 to 816, the report said.

Political Affairs. Kyodo. Hazards guide to death from overwork, including work-related suicide.

USA: Don’t just lie down, act up!

Is no-one turning up to your union meetings, the safety committee dying on its feet, and management blithely ignoring your every word? It might just be time for an injection of creative organising. Union organisers and activists gathered this month at the US National Labor College to learn how everything from music to sketches, game shows to theatre can spice up union business. Jeri Cooper, a member of the autoworkers’ union UAW from Flint, Michigan, and her co-workers used ideas picked up at one of the creative organising conferences to push a successful unionisation campaign at Venture, an auto parts company where there were a number of safety concerns. The group put together a comic spoof of the opening theme song from the 1960s TV sitcom, 'The Beverly Hillbillies' that highlighted health and safety problems at the company. The Venture workers had fun with it, Cooper said, adding that volunteer organisers and Venture workers subsequently came up with their own pro-UAW version of the rock group Queen’s 'We will rock you' with the refrain 'We are, we are union!' The next month, the 600 workers at Venture voted to join UAW by a two-to-one margin. 'Organising campaigns are often about dignity, solidarity, and social justice,' commented Peter Jones, director of the Labor Heritage Foundation, which backs the creative organising events. 'Creative techniques help people showcase these aspects. They also help educate people, build morale and bring people together.'

· AFL-CIO news release. Labor Heritage Foundation news release. · The Great Labor Arts Exchange and Creative Organising conference. Labor Heritage Foundation. · Involve the membership – see the Hazards participatory safety tools.

USA: Union irons out laundry firm’s resistance

A US union campaign to organise a major laundry company with a poor safety record has scored a notable victory. Textiles union UNITE HERE targeted ABN AMRO, the finance company backing Angelica Corporation, in the run up to the 28 April Workers’ Memorial Day this year. Under pressure, Angelica - which had strenuously resisted union attempts to sign-up new members and was stalling on agreeing contracts at organised plants - has now backed down. The union had urged ABN AMRO, Angelica’s major financial backer, to respect its commitment under United Nations’ labour standards agreements - the Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative - to only do business with firms respecting basic human and labour rights. On 14 June, UNITE HERE announced it had entered into an agreement with Angelica Corporation, resolving the dispute. The union says its 28 April targeting of ABN AMRO was instrumental in winning the deal, adding that the company was now committed to identifying and addressing health and safety problems at its plants throughout the US. Angelica, the largest launderer of bed sheets and other linen to the US health care industry, had been accused by the union of being a serial violator of employment and health and safety standards, pointing to recent penalties for multiple 'wilful' and other violations of US health and safety rules on infectious disease and life-threatening machinery risks.

UNITE HERE news release. Workers Independent News.

Global Compact. Global Reporting Initiative.

More on the union safety effect.

RESOURCES

Campaigning for healthier casinos

General union GMB has published a health and safety campaign guide for casinos. It says the hazards facing casino workers are not unusual in themselves, 'but taken together they represent a unique challenge for workers in this particular environment.' The report highlights risks from smoking, stress, bullying and harassment, violence, unsocial hours, posture and safe travel after work. It also includes a casino health and safety checklist. 'GMB believes that this industry deserves better guidance on how the jobs in this industry can be done taking into account best health and safety practice,' the union says. 'This leaflet attempts to identify some of the hazards involved and looks at ways of reducing the risks from these hazards.'

Campaigning for better health and safety in casinos [pdf].

EVENTS AND COURSES

TUC courses for safety reps

COURSES FOR APRIL TO JULY 2005

Midlands, North, North West, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside

COURSES FOR SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 2005

Midlands, Scotland, South East

USEFUL LINKS

Visit the TUC http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/ website pages on health and safety. See what’s on offer from TUC Publications and What’s On in health and safety.

Subscribe to Hazards magazine, supported by the TUC as a key source of information for union safety reps.

What’s new in the HSC/E and the European Agency.

HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA. Tel: 01787 881165; fax: 01787 313995.