Usdaw delighted smoking banned in Private Members Clubs

Retail union Usdaw is delighted the ban on smoking in workplaces across England will include private member's clubs where the union represents bar stewards and stewardesses.

The union wrote to all MPs on behalf of the staff in private members' clubs asking them to support an amendment that closed a loophole exempting those clubs from the ban. This exemption would have increased smoking in private members' clubs and had serious health implications for Usdaw members working in those establishments.

“We're delighted that a large majority of MPs have supported our members who told us they already work in a very smoky atmosphere which can have very serious health implications for them,” says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “If private members clubs had been exempted from the workplace smoking ban then we feared that smokers may just migrate there from pubs making the problems resulting from passive smoking even worse.

“We're particularly pleased the ban was passed with a thumping majority of 200 as it shows MPs are listening to the legitimate health concerns of our members. The stewardesses and stewards told us that they want members clubs to prosper because their jobs depend on it and they have a loyalty to their establishments which we commend. But they wanted the same health protection as other workers which they will now get which is a victory of common sense.

“Kevin Barron used Usdaw's evidence when he made a key intervention in the debate which persuaded Government Ministers to change their minds. One of his main points was that our members were already reporting that that they can get a lot of abuse when asking club members to stop from smoking at the bar. So we're confident that this ban will mean they can work free from fear of abuse from customers and abuse of their lungs.”

Notes to Editors:

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw's Media Officer, Paul Clarke, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail paul.clarke@usdaw.org.uk.
• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union, with over 340,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.
• Journalists can subscribe to receive Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service.

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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