Usdaw says Health and Safety needs to stay top of the agenda for local councils

Retail union Usdaw says health and safety must remain top of local authorities’ agenda as the Government announces a review into local council’s statutory responsibilities.

The Government has appointed Peter Rogers, Chief Executive of Westminster City Council, to identify five national priorities for local councils from a list of over 60 statutory powers designed to protect local communities.

Usdaw is concerned that establishing five key priorities will allow some councils to put less funding into enforcing their other 55 legal duties including health and safety inspection.

“The reality is 90% of Usdaw members work in small stores, warehouses and call centres which are protected by local authority inspectors,” says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “Our fear is that if the Government identity five key priorities then other legal checks will have less priority putting our members at risk of serious injury or death from bad employers.

“Usdaw accepts the need for a review, but setting five national priorities sends out the wrong message to councils already struggling to fund their statutory responsibilities that they can just ignore other serious areas with no real penalty.

“Usdaw has seen too many examples of bad health and safety practice from poor employers that should have been enforced by hard pressed councils and if this review gets it wrong then that situation will only get worse.

“Our submission to the Rogers Review will challenge the misguided perception that there is too much interference from local authorities into how businesses are run. We intend to make the case that rigorous inspections prevent businesses losing millions after being closed down after serious accidents or paying out compensation to injured workers.

“The Rogers Review will report before the next budget and Usdaw members will be writing to their local councillors and MPs making the case that five national priorities is the wrong way forward.”

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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