Risks 937 - 7 March 2020
Risks is the TUC's weekly newsletter for safety reps and others, sponsored by Thompsons Solicitors.
UNION NEWS
No-one should miss out on sick pay, for safety’s sake
Patchy sick pay cover undermines coronavirus prevention
Health crisis exposes sick pay and zero hours peril
GMB wins full pay for ISS staff if self isolated
Government cuts created coronavirus ‘hygiene nightmare’
UK workers are overworked and underpaid
New union network to improve North Sea helicopter safety
Underground drivers demand tests into 'toxic' particles
FBU blasts ‘endless delays’ to the Grenfell inquiry
HMRC strike ballot over taxing working patterns
OTHER NEWS
MPs echo union call for tighter controls on deadly silica
Young black and minority workers stuck in bad jobs
Union calls for civil service bullying inquiry
Action call as retail violence increases
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Australia: Government bankrolls bid to cut sick leave
Global: Union action call on ‘crucial’ coronavirus action
Italy: Shop union secures coronavirus protection
Global: Time for a world of work free of violence
USA: White House doctored chemical warning
UNION NEWS
No-one should miss out on sick pay, for safety’s sake
The TUC has urged the government to support workers who do not qualify for statutory sick pay (SSP) as the coronavirus spreads. After pressure from the TUC and unions, the government announced this week that workers will get statutory sick pay from the first day off work, not the fourth, to help contain coronavirus spread. Prime minister Boris Johnson said people who self-isolate are helping to protect others from the virus and should not be “penalised for doing the right thing.” However the TUC warns that people on low incomes, zero hours contracts and the self-employed are among those who are likely to miss out. The TUC comments came as England's chief medical officer said it was “likely” the virus will become an epidemic in the UK. The government has warned up to 20 per cent of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic. Statutory sick pay (SSP) is £94.25 per week and can be paid for up to 28 weeks. To qualify, a worker must earn at least £118 per week and under normal circumstances it is only paid from the fourth day of sickness. The TUC estimates up to two million workers don't earn enough to qualify. The fear is that workers who are not paid when sick feel they have no alternative to go in to work despite being ill, potentially worsening infection rates. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said day one sick pay for employees “is an important step forward for working people. But it’s not enough. Two million workers still don’t earn enough to qualify for statutory sick pay. They can’t afford not to work. And statutory sick pay still isn’t enough to live on.” She added: “Government must go further to ensure that no one is penalised for doing the right thing.” A TUC ‘Sick pay for all’ campaign is calling for emergency legislation to provide sick pay for all workers, regardless of income and employment status.TUC news release and related news release, TUC blog and ‘Sick pay for all’ call for emergency legislation and research report. Prime minister’s statement, 3 March 2020 and government coronavirus action plan. GMB news release. UNISON news release and blog. NEU news release. RMT news release. Scope news release. BBC News Online and related story. RESOURCES: COVID-19: guidance for employers and businesses, Public Health England and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, February 2020. RCM coronavirus briefing.ACTION: Sign the TUC ‘Sick pay for all’ petition.
Patchy sick pay cover undermines coronavirus prevention
Leaving large sections of the workforce without sick pay is undermining the government’s plans to head off a possible coronavirus epidemic, unions have warned. Unite said the government needs to introduce emergency legislation to ensure that the millions of workers not entitled to statutory sick pay receive it from day one if they can’t work because of coronavirus. Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: “This is a vital public health issue - the state must intervene with emergency legislation to protect workers where collective agreements or statutory protection doesn’t exist. Without decisive intervention workers simply won’t stay at home – they can’t afford to.” He added: “Government must also intervene with respect to gig workers, the ‘self-employed’ and the millions who don’t have rights to statutory sick pay or are simply already too poor to qualify.” The scientists and engineers’ union Prospect said that freelancers and self-employed people would continue to face “the dilemma of no pay or going to work when it may be putting their colleagues at risk.” Mike Clancy, the union’s general secretary, said: “This simply isn’t good enough. The government must recognise the risk to everyone posed by this and put in place proper support for these workers.” The government has said that the self-employed may be eligible for in-work benefits, however in many cases there is a five week wait for payments. Susan Harris, the legal director with the union GMB, said: “The government can and must now move fast to use existing powers under the 1996 Employment Rights Act to ensure all employees are entitled to full pay from day one during medical suspension due to coronavirus.” She added: “The government must provide clarity on whether those in insecure and low paid work will receive cover under any new arrangements.” UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Employees on zero hours or precarious contracts are already on low wages. They now face financial hardship if they have to self-isolate. The government must bring in emergency measures so these low-paid workers are protected financially, particularly those caring for the most vulnerable in society. It should be made compulsory for employers to give them sick pay, even if they’re not officially eligible.”Unite news release. Prospect news release. GMB news release and related news release. UNISON news release. Morning Star. The Guardian.
Health crisis exposes sick pay and zero hours peril
Hundreds of student workers on precarious contracts at Sheffield Students' Union are calling on management to address urgently shortcomings in its sick pay policy and the use of zero hours contracts. Health warnings linked to coronavirus have prompted the their union Unite to step up its call to management to introduce sick pay entitlements for casual staff in line with full time staff, and to end “poor employment practices”. Unite says a large number of the 600 casual workers earn below £118 a week, meaning they do not qualify for statutory sick pay. The union is calling for full sick pay for casual staff, the real Living Wage of £9.30 an hour instead of the minimum wage, and the right to a secure contract. Unite regional officer Harriet Eisner said: “Unite has raised the issue of sick pay, low pay and zero hours with management. Talks on these issues have been constructive but the current policy so far remains unchanged and unfit for the current health crisis. We hope management will introduce a good sick pay policy for hundreds of casual staff at Sheffield Students' Union as a matter of urgency.” She added: “The changes we are asking for will cost significantly less than the university vice chancellor’s annual salary, and would significantly improve the lives of hundreds of people.” Josh Berlyne, the Unite representative at Sheffield Student’s Union said: “We’ve spoken to numerous workers who’ve come into work sick because they can’t afford to miss out on a day’s pay.”Unite news release.
GMB wins full pay for ISS staff if self isolated
The union GMB has scored a big win for thousands of workers after private outsourcing company ISS promised full pay for all its health worker employees if they are forced to self-isolate due to coronavirus. The union said it has pressured NHS outsourcing companies – and the government - to ensure all workers are given full pay from day one if forced to self-isolate. It said the government “already has the powers to solve this public health crisis and could introduce a statutory right to normal pay during any period of self-isolation recommended by PHE, by amending rights which already exist under the Employment Rights Act 1996.” Lola McEvoy, GMB organiser, said: “Full pay from day one for NHS contract workers is an urgent priority for public safety given the escalating coronavirus crisis. This announcement that ISS will give full pay to everyone required to self-isolate is the direct result of GMB members’ bravery in campaigning at Homerton Hospital and across the UK.” She added: “This is an admission of the failures of statutory sick pay and increases the pressure on government to now follow ISS’ lead and ensure no worker is forced to make the choice between public safety and paying their rent.” GMB national officer Rachel Harrison added: “Following intense pressure from GMB, ISS has done the right thing. Now all NHS employers – and employers across all sectors in the UK – must follow suit and do their bit to stem the tide of coronavirus.” An exclusive focus group conducted for Channel 4 News on 3 March, revealed 77 per cent of cleaners, porters and security guards and patient transport staff employed by private contractors for the NHS admit being forced to come in to work because they can’t make ends meet without proper sick pay. GMB’s Lola McEvoy commented: “This research shows the dire choice our NHS members are left in. It’s not just a risk to their health and dignity but it poses a massive public health risk to the whole UK.”GMB news release and briefing on Coronavirus risks at work; GMB news release on the Channel 4 focus group findings.
Government cuts created coronavirus ‘hygiene nightmare’
Government cuts have heightened public hygiene problems with the closure of more than a fifth of public toilets in Britain during the past decade, according to UNISON figures published this week. People across the country are being urged to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly in a government information campaign aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19, or coronavirus. But new freedom of information (FoI) figures gathered by UNISON show there has been a 22 per cent drop in the number of public toilets maintained by councils since 2010, with the closure of 979. Almost 400 councils across England, Scotland and Wales were contacted, with data supplied by 87 per cent. UNISON head of local government Jon Richards said: “Ministers can’t wash their hands of responsibility for the hygiene problems that could now haunt the country. The removal of hundreds of washrooms is one of the consequences of a decade of government cuts. For workers who travel as part of their job, or for anyone else who spends time out and about, this is a significant worry.” He added: “The savage cuts forced on councils have also created wider problems. Reduced resources will have left many woefully unprepared to tackle a public health problem that’s worsening by the day.”UNISON news release.
UK workers are overworked and underpaid
UK employers claimed £35 billion of free labour last year because of workers doing unpaid overtime, according to a new analysis of official statistics published by the TUC. More than 5 million people put in an average of 7.6 hours a week in unpaid overtime during 2019. On average, that’s equivalent to having £6,828 taken out of individual pay packets. The union body was commenting on 28 February, the TUC’s 16th annual Work Your Proper Hours Day. The day marks the fact that the average person doing unpaid overtime has effectively worked the first two months of the year for free. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The government needs to crack down on Britain’s long hours culture. Too many bosses are getting away with stealing their workers’ time. But instead of strengthening protections, ministers want to use Brexit as an excuse to chuck out the limited protections we already have.” She added: “Overworking staff hurts productivity, leaves workers’ stressed and exhausted and eats into time that should be spent with family and friends. That’s why any EU trade deal needs to guarantee that employment rights, like those covered by the Working Time Directive, are protected in the future.”TUC news release.
New union network to improve North Sea helicopter safety
Unions from the UK and Norway have established a dedicated working group to improve helicopter safety across the North Sea oil and gas industry. Officials from UK unions including Unite, RMT, BALPA, GMB, Nautilus and Prospect have joined with the Industri Energi union to establish the Trade Union Helicopter Safety Committee (TUHSC). The group will work together with Norway’s LO Helicopter committee, a group of six Norwegian trade unions, as well as colleagues from the Netherlands and Denmark to compare standards and share lessons across the sector. Trade publication Energy Voice reports that at its inaugural meeting, the TUHSC said there was a “cross section of issues” within the sector the group would focus on, including commercial pressures, and problems with regulations, training and safety equipment. RMT regional officer Jake Molloy has been elected a chair of the group. “Through the TUHSC we aim to convey the views and objectives of those most affected when systems fail. The engineers servicing the aircraft, the pilots up front and the passengers in the back all have a vested interest and common goals,” he said. “It makes sense that we come together to work collectively and coordinate our efforts to achieve the best outcomes in safety performance.” The initiative follows a series of fatal crashes in the North Sea involving Super Puma helicopters, which is now out of commission in the region.Energy Voice.
Underground drivers demand tests into 'toxic' particles
Staff on the London Underground are demanding more is done to assess the effects of breathing in Tube dust (Risks 904). The BBC reports that train drivers’ union ASLEF is calling for ‘urgent’ research into the long-term impact of inhaling the particles. Analysis has shown the main component of the dust is iron oxide but traces of quartz, chromium and copper have also been found. Transport for London (TfL) says it is “doing all it can to ensure the air was as clean as possible” and it is supporting research into the effects of Tube dust. It adds it is “trialling innovative new approaches to reducing dust levels” and that drivers working the deep, poorly ventilated tunnels had been given face masks. ASLEF’s Finn Brennan commented: “The jury is still out into what the long-term effects are. Our members are spending eight hours a day, five days a week, down there and they are concerned. In 2019 I wore a pollution measuring backpack and the readings spiked when I went on the Tube.” Dr Ben Barratt, from King's College London, said: “We still don't know if this is more or less toxic than the kind of dust you're breathing above ground," he said. “It can't be good. It's something entering your body that shouldn't be there and even in a precautionary way we should try and minimise and reduce.” Even non-toxic dusts can be harmful if inhaled. They can cause bronchitis and other obstructive lung diseases, and can overwhelm mucociliary clearance, the body’s snotty defence system. It can mean workers in dusty environments are more prone to infections and dust diseases. Tube union RMT has also run a lengthy campaign for action to protect Tube workers and passengers from the “scandal” of toxic dust exposures on the network (Risks 808).BBC News Online. How does dust hurt you? A Hazards at a glance guide.
FBU blasts ‘endless delays’ to the Grenfell inquiry
Firefighters’ union FBU has criticised the “endless delays” to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and said that the inquiry “must finally learn what led to Grenfell becoming such a death trap.” The June 2017 fire killed 72 residents and displaced hundreds of people. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “The survivors deserve much better than this glacial pace of progress. Firefighters underwent immense scrutiny during phase one, while corporate witnesses have had years to prepare and will not have their evidence used against them in criminal prosecutions; a protection afforded to no firefighter.” He added: “This inquiry should leave no stone unturned and we must finally learn what led to Grenfell becoming such a death trap, so those responsible can be held to account.” The Morning Star reports the inquiry’s first phase examined the events of the night the fire broke out in the council-owned residential tower block. The second phase is focusing on the causes of the fire with opening submissions from contractors, subcontractors and specialists who were involved in the refurbishment of the tower. The attorney general Suella Braverman has ruled that anything said by witnesses in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry will not be used to prosecute them over the fire. The inquiry was halted within minutes of its restart on 2 March when community activists stood up in the room and angrily shouted it was “a cover-up”.Morning Star. Construction Enquirer. The Guardian and related story.
HMRC strike ballot over taxing working patterns
Civil service union PCS is holding an industrial action ballot of HMRC members working in personal tax operations in Bootle over the working conditions of staff undertaking telephony work. The union says it has highlighted to management that ‘relentless’ telephony work is having a damaging effect on members’ mental health. It adds that some members unable to undertake telephone work are facing threats, bullying and discrimination. PCS is demanding that its members are required to spend no more than 50 per cent of their time on telephone duties and that there are safeguards for members unable to do telephone work for health reasons. It says the issue of unhealthy working conditions was first highlighted in a report produced by PCS Bootle Taxes Branch in August 2019, based on personal testimonies from 49 branch members. Senior management, both locally and nationally, have been made aware of the report, but have yet to take any action, PCS says. Even where occupational health reports have advised against a worker undertaking telephone work, “members have felt pressured or bullied into telephone work,” it adds. A number of members have been threatened with disciplinary action unless they agreed to return to telephone work. Martin Kelsey, PCS Revenue and Customs Group secretary, said: “This dispute is about safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our members. There is plenty of non-telephone work that these members can be undertaking, which would allow for a blend of duties and relieve the constant pressure caused by relentless telephone.” He added: “It is only the widespread understaffing within HMRC that’s leading the department to try to force these members into working patterns that are damaging to their health.”PCS news release.
OTHER NEWS
MPs echo union call for tighter controls on deadly silica
A parliamentary group has echoed union calls for a more protective workplace exposure limit for silica dust. The TUC, unions and the Hazards Campaign have led the campaign for a halving of the UK exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Now the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Respiratory Health has urged the government to take action to prevent the ‘next asbestos’ from claiming more lives in the UK. A joint report from the APPG and the building charity B&CE repeats the union call for a halving of the UK’s workplace exposure limit (WEL) for RCS from 0.1mg/m3 to 0.05mg/m3. It also calls for new health and safety regulations relating specifically to the control of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), to bring it into line with asbestos, and for silicosis to be made an occupational disease reportable to HSE under the RIDDOR reporting regulations. Gregg McClymont, director of policy at B&CE, commented: “The aim of this report is to start a long-overdue conversation between government, parliament, health bodies and the construction industry about how to tackle silicosis; an entirely preventable, often fatal, condition.” A report last year from Hazards magazine dismantled HSE’s excuses for not tightening the standard, accusing HSE of parroting the industry line and of promoting a ‘dangerous’ silica standard in the UK and Europe (Risks 930). The 0.05mg/m³ exposure standard proposed by unions and the new report is six times more protective for the lung-destroying dust disease silicosis than the current UK limit. Silica exposure can also cause lung cancer, obstructive lung diseases and kidney and autoimmune diseases.B&CE news release and full report, Silica – the next asbestos?, All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Respiratory Health/B&CE, March 2020. Personnel Today.Biting the dust: HSE defends a silica standard six times more deadly, Hazards, number 148, December 2019. How does silica dust hurt you?, Hazards guide. ACTION: Send an e-postcard to HSE demanding it introduce a more protective UK silica standard no higher than 0.05mg/m³ and with a phased move to 0.025mg/m³. www.hazards.org/HSEstopkillingus.
Young black and minority workers stuck in bad jobs
Millennials from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are 47 per cent more likely to be on a zero hours contract, and have 10 per cent greater odds of working a second job, compared to their white peers, according to a new report from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Carnegie UK Trust, and Operation Black Vote. BAME millennials are also 5 per cent more likely to be doing shiftwork, and are 4 per cent less likely to have a permanent contract than white workers. The findings held even when other factors that could affect labour market success were taken into account, including gender, family background and educational attainment. The researchers also found unfavourable employment status was linked to mental ill-health. Douglas White from Carnegie UK Trust said: “Good work can have a really positive impact on people’s wellbeing – but we need to tackle the inequalities in who has access to good quality jobs. This report highlights that young people from BAME communities are particularly likely to enter into precarious forms of work. We need policy and practice to recognise and respond to this to ensure that good work is available to all.” Dr Morag Henderson, of the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, said: “Our findings suggest that broad brush policies to improve employment conditions for BAME groups are unlikely to work for everyone.” The report’s recommendations include a call for government action to address racial inequalities in access to good work. Other research has found a marked racial inequality in occupational health, with black and minority workers frequently over-represented in jobs with high exposures to workplace risks (Risks 789), a bad jobs effect that can lead to reduced life expectancy (Risks 724).Carnegie Trust UK news release and report, Race inequality in the workplace, March 2020. BBC News Online.
Union calls for civil service bullying inquiry
The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) has called for an inquiry into bullying in the civil service following multiple accusations against cabinet minister Priti Patel. The union call came after the home secretary was accused of bullying staff at a third government department. The latest claims are from her time as international development secretary from 2016 to 2017, and follow similar claims at the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It was revealed this week that a DWP official received a £25,000 payout after alleging she was bullied by Priti Patel in 2015 during her time as employment minister. The DWP official claimed she attempted suicide as a result. The DWP did not admit liability and the case did not go before a tribunal. The issue came to public attention after bullying allegations against Ms Patel by Sir Philip Rutnam, who resigned as Home Office permanent secretary last week. He indicated he intends to take his former employer to an employment tribunal, claiming constructive dismissal. PCS general Secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This government has presided over a bullying culture within the civil service which they have failed to tackle.” He added: “There should be an independent inquiry into bullying in the civil service. Our union along with others have been working with the cabinet office arguing for a clear procedure on handling complaints of bullying, discrimination and harassment, particularly regarding allegations against ministers, MPs and special advisers.” The union leader said: “Despite assurances that this would become part of the ministerial code, this appears to have been abandoned.”PCS news release. FDA news release. BBC News Online. The Independent. Morning Star.
Action call as retail violence increases
The shopworkers’ trade union Usdaw is joining with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to press for government action to stem a “growing tide” of violence and abuse against shopworkers. The latest BRC Annual Retail Crime Survey found that violence and abuse against shopworkers continues to increase, with 424 incidents per day during 2019. Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Usdaw’s research has shown that over 400 shopworkers are assaulted every day and today we see that the BRC survey findings are similar. When retail employers and the shopworkers’ trade union jointly call for action to stem this growing epidemic of violence against shop staff, it’s time for ministers to sit up and take notice.” Lillis added: “All too often criminals feel they can get away with assaulting shop staff and are not punished. That’s why we need government action to help protect staff through the creation of a simple stand-alone offence that is widely recognised and understood by the public, police, the judiciary and most importantly criminals.” On 3 March, unions Usdaw and GMB told a Scottish parliament committee that action was necessary to help protect shopworkers from violence and abuse. Representatives of the unions appeared before the economy, energy and fair work committee in support of the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill (Risks 919).Usdaw news release. Morning Star.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Australia: Government bankrolls bid to cut sick leave
Whilst Australian workers face uncertainty and financial stress in the face of the coronavirus crisis, the federal government and business have been working to strip them of access to sick leave and other entitlements. Rather than throwing its full weight behind ensuring workers are supported through the emergency, it has emerged that prime minister Scott Morrison is spending taxpayers’ money to fight court battles that would strip ordinary Australians of their sick pay. National union federation ACTU has revealed the Morrison government has spent more than $250,000 (£129,000) to help a multinational corporation reduce access to sick leave from workers. ACTU said the government has also splashed out $280,000 (£145,000) to help a multinational company deny ongoing employees with regular shifts access to sick leave by trying to have them treated as “casuals”. ACTU secretary Sally McManus commented: “The Morrison government only listens to the demands of big business and their donors. This is why they are spending over half a million dollars of taxpayer money to strip workers of sick leave. At a time when Australians are looking for leadership and support during a crisis, Scott Morrison is putting his priorities first and telling Australians to fend for themselves.” She added: “We’ve seen this film before. The Morrison government is all about itself and working Australians are paying the price.”ACTU news release.
Global: Union action call on ‘crucial’ coronavirus action
With over 90,000 people in dozens of countries currently infected by the coronavirus (Covid-19), ITUC is calling for urgent measures to ensure that workers who show symptoms can take sick leave without fear of losing their jobs or their incomes, and receive free health care. The global union confederation says that with the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning of a “very high risk of global spread and impact” of the disease, workplaces are frontlines in combatting its proliferation. “Many millions of people around the world have no right to take sick leave or face financial ruin if they have to go into isolation. That exposes them, their colleagues and the public to the risk of serious disease and can only accelerate its spread,” said ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow. “Along with all the other urgent measures required, governments need to ensure that employers provide time off without penalty for people who have symptoms, and to fill the gaps in social protection that make it difficult for people to stop work when they are sick. Never has the need for paid sick leave been more evident.”ITUC news release.
Italy: Shop union secures coronavirus protection
An Italian union has secured employment and health protections for shopworkers in the Northern region of Lombardy, an area heavily impacted by the country’s coronavirus outbreak. Filcams has obtained time off and flexible working hours commitments from employers such as Zara, H&M and Carrefour, so shopworkers can look after their children while many schools are shut down. The union has also secured a commitment from companies to provide disinfectant for stores and to allow hand-cleansing during the day, as well as providing gloves and face masks for workers who want to wear them. Employers have also agreed to consider paid leave for workers, in case of absence due to forced closures. Marco Beretta, general secretary at Filcams CIGIL Milan, said: “As soon as the seriousness of coronavirus became apparent, we wanted to react quickly to help our members. Store workers are in public-facing jobs making them vulnerable to catching the virus. At the same, many of our members are parents, and with schools suddenly closed, we wanted to make sure they were able to look after their children in these exceptional circumstances. Our five-point list of demands has been accepted by all the companies where we have members in Lombardy.” Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI, the global union representing retail unions, said: “We commend this rapid response from our affiliate, Filcams, in helping to alleviate pressure on shopworkers in Lombardy in the face of coronavirus. This is a great example of how strong unions can engage in good dialogue with employers to achieve immediate action to protect and benefit workers.”UNI news release.
Global: Time for a world of work free of violence
Global union IndustriALL is calling on national governments to ratify the new ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work. It says International Women’s Day on 8 March can be a focus for unions to pick up this campaign theme. The global union federation for mining, chemicals, manufacturing and textiles unions notes: “IndustriALL is campaigning for the ratification of ILO Convention 190; as unions we have an important role to play to make sure that this Convention is ratified and incorporated into national legislation. Together with other global unions, we have developed materials for our affiliates to use to raise awareness. Let’s mobilize on 8 March for the advancement of women’s rights!” The ILO Violence and Harassment Convention was agreed in June 2019, and addresses behaviours, practices or threats “that aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm.”IndustriALL news release and Convention 190 resources. Violence and Harassment Convention (Convention 190), ILO, June 2019.
USA: White House doctored chemical warning
A common workplace solvent linked to fetal heart deformations, cancer and other serious health disorders has been given a healthier spin after a draft report from a US government agency was doctored by the White House prior to publication. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an official assessment of trichloroethylene (TCE), which rejected fetal heart malformations as a benchmark for safe exposure levels to the chemical. However a report from the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) has discovered that in coming to this conclusion, the report downplayed years of established science. CIR reporter Elizabeth Shogren learned that the report were altered radically at the direction of the Trump White House. Shogren has obtained a copy of the roughly 700-page draft assessment that EPA scientists initially signed off on. That internal draft went to the White House and other federal agencies for review. According to two government scientists, EPA scientists were directed to substantially rewrite their evaluation by discarding the science on TCE’s role in fetal heart defects. The instructions, they said, came from the Executive Office of the President. According to CIR: “Put another way, the White House had directed the EPA to override the findings of its own scientists.” It details several instances where wording on the risks to workers was revised, and notes that the Trump administration listened to John DeSesso, who is “a contract scientist for chemical companies and their trade associations, promoting their positions on toxic chemicals from arsenic to Roundup.” DeSesso had published one paper on the TCE issue. The CIR report notes that by contrast, four acknowledged experts in the field who had previously “publicly rebutted DeSesso’s study” and who between them “have 16 peer-reviewed lab studies of TCE under their belts” were “shut out” of the process.
Center for Investigative Reporting report and The Weekly Reveal podcast.
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