NASUWT: Another scandalous attack on the rights of ordinary working people
Responding to the last minute amendment to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill which is seeking to remove employers’ strict liability when workers are injured at work, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, said:
“Not content with making it prohibitively expensive for low-income workers to access justice if they are treated unfairly by their employer and introducing proposals to reduce the amount injured employees can collect in costs; the Government is now seeking to make it easier for employers to escape penalty and responsibility for injuries sustained at work.
"This is yet another scandalous example of the rights of ordinary workers being sacrificed on the altar of putting profit before people.
“Not content with attacking workers' rights, ministers have then apparently sought to cover their tracks by slipping in this amendment to the Bill at the eleventh hour, without any public consultation, and no doubt with the intention of avoiding public scrutiny of this attack on workplace rights.
“There appear to be no limits to the contempt this Government has for the welfare and rights of ordinary working people."
ENDS
Notes to editors
The Government has made an amendment to Section 47 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which has been added to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill at the eleventh hour. The Bill is now with the House of Lords.
Thompsons Solicitors have published a briefing about this issue at http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/ERRB%20civil%20liability%20briefing%20final.doc
Lena Davies
Press and Media Officer
Campaigns and Communications Team
NASUWT
0121 457 6250 / 07867 392 746
lena.davies@mail.nasuwt.org.uk
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