HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS DON’T KILL JOBS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2011 :: RMTnews 17 The business lobby claims that pesky safety regulations and meddling inspectors are bringing the economy to its knees and stifling job creation. But Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) spokesperson Linzi Herbertson pointed out there are a couple of big problems with this deregulatory fantasy – their arguments are bogus and the statistics behind them are rigged. She pointed out that 2008 HSE analysis estimated that less than a quarter of the costs of work-related injuries and ill- health is borne by the employers and the bulk of the cost fell “externally on individuals and society”. “Wherever you go the business lobby is trotting out the same arguments claiming businesses are closing and jobs being lost due to the burden of regulation with heath and safety rules targeted as a top ‘job killer’. They are trying to hoodwink government, the media and the public, but it’s not true and the burdens on us. “The arguments that it is too expensive for business to obey health and safety rules is bogus as they fail to take into account all the benefits they gain in lower insurance, less lost production and damage, lower sickness absence bills and less compensation that good health and safety provides to their business. “But they also fail to count the cost of their failure to manage health and safety properly which exceeds by many times even their bogus inflated figures for complying. “Even more important the business lobby completely fails to tell everyone that they pay less than 25 per cent of the cost of injury, death and illness, as 75 per cent is borne by workers, their families and the state. “We want the government to listen to the true facts not the burdens on business lies and listen to us, the ones who pay the cost of poor health and safety in blood and tears,” she said. FACK founder member Linda Whelan attended the TUCG event to tell MPs and the government that it’s not employers who bear the burden “but people we love who went to work and never came home, killed by employers’ negligence and by a regulatory and enforcement regime which is too lax”. Useful websites Families Against Corporate Killers was set up in 2006 see www.fack.org Workers Memorial Day April 28 www.hazards.org/wmd Job Killers www.hazards.org/votetodie/jobkillers.htm We Didn’t Vote to Die at Work Campaign www.hazards.org/votetodie. NEWCASTLE RAIL & CATERING BRANCH SUPPORTS CRAIG JOHNSTON FOR RMT RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER - NORTH AYR BRANCH NOMINATES CRAIG JOHNSTON ELECTION OF RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER - NORTH STANDING UP FOR ALL GRADES! CARLISLE CITY BRANCH NOMINATES CRAIG JOHNSTON FOR RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER - NORTH COMMITMENT - EXPERIENCE - DEDICATION... MANCHESTER VICTORIA BRANCH SUPPORTS CRAIG JOHNSTON FOR RMT RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER-NORTH WORKING FOR ALL GRADES EAST LANCASHIRE BRANCH NOMINATES CRAIG JOHNSTON ELECTION OF RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER - NORTH “PUTTING THE MEMBERS FIRST!" BLACKPOOL & FYLDE COAST RMT BRANCH PROUD TO NOMINATE AND SUPPORT CRAIG JOHNSTON FOR RELIEF ORGANISER ( NORTH) WE VALUE HIS EXPERIENCE,COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION. HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS DON’T KILL JOBS: LACK OF REGULATION KILLS WORKERS Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) outlines why claims that health and safety laws must go are bogus