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Safety of Staff in the UK Paper Industry Comes under Scrutiny

9 December 2009

The paper industry in the UK has come under the scanner after revelations that there have been many incidents of fatalities and injuries in the recent past in the US paper industry.

A survey is scheduled to be conducted about the problem of worker health and safety in the UK paper industry. The survey will be conducted by the first truly global union known as Workers Uniting. The survey in the US was conducted by United Steelworkers (USW), and now a partnership has been established between these two unions, making this present survey one of its kind where workers of two different continents will be linked together to evaluate worker health and safety in the paper industry.

The proposed research is most probably one of the most ambitious and comprehensive studies on the condition of workers’ safety in the paper industry. While analysing the reasons for the current trend of negligence towards workers’ safety, Tony Burke, Unite Assistant General Secretary, points out that globalisation has brought in an atmosphere of stiff competition and so the employers have started neglecting the health and safety of their staff.

The Survey in the US conducted by USW showed that many employers are cutting back on safety training. In addition, there has been a reduction in the number of union safety committees, and the practice of giving financial incentives to staff in case of reduction in the number of accidents has started.

This practice of giving financial benefits for fewer accidents has come under the scrutiny of Workers Uniting because it feels that this will actually lead to hiding the safety loopholes and will stall investigation. Thus, the union is trying to stop this practice by coming hard on employers who are resorting to this practice.

Jon Geenen, USW Vice-President, also shares the same concern. He believes that the main problems identified in the US paper industry will be found in the UK paper industry also, or if they are not there in the present, will soon be imported to the UK because of the effects of globalisation.

Workplace Law Training & Consulting is equipped to provide professionally accredited training in key areas of workplace law and practice. Accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (see IOSH UK) to deliver internationally recognised health and safety courses to help organisations comply with the law and manage people in the workplace.

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