MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april bulletin 1 2020 :: RMTnews 12 Trade unions have a long history of campaigning for change in the workplace and beyond, not only on employment rights or safety issues but also on the way people are viewed in the workplace and in society. It is acknowledged that the scale of mental ill-health is much greater than previously thought. It is now recognised that one in four people will suffer from mental-health problems at some point in their life. Suicide is now the likeliest cause of death for men between 29 and 49. These are issues of justice, equality and fairness – core trade-union issues. People with mental-health problems face social and workplace exclusion, particularly in times of austerity when poverty levels and the attendant stresses increase dramatically. They are at risk of being marginalised in the workplace and of being denied access to secure and sustainable employment and access to medical and social care. There has never been a more important time for unions to campaign to raise awareness of the issues facing people with mental-health problems, although there should always be a link to prevention as well. Just as capitalism causes physical health problems, often through industrial accidents and unsafe working environments, it also causes many mental health issues, not least by subjecting workers to exploitation and alienation. Mental-health difficulties at work can be caused or worsened by factors such as: • sleep-unfriendly shift work MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN RMT has produced a leaflet as part of a campaign for greater recognition of mental health problems at work called ‘Campaigning for mental wellbeing at work’