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Attention: industrial, health, political correspondents, newsdesks

TUC backs pub chain smoking ban

Welcoming today’s (Monday) announcement that the JD Wetherspoon pub chain will ban smoking in all of its 650 pubs by May 2006, Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said:

'One of Britain’s biggest pub chains is acting to save its staff from the dangers of lethal second-hand smoke. The bogus argument that banning smoking is a threat to the pub, club and restaurant business must now fall flat on its face.

'Weatherspoons are leading the way but too many employers will continue to neglect their duty to keep their staff safe. It’s the duty of the government to take the lead and make all workplaces smoke-free zones.'

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Press release (300 words) issued 24 Jan 2005