US investigation into health and safety cash scandal prompts UK campaign

US investigation into health and safety cash scandal prompts UK campaign

UK paper manufacturing procedures will be reviewed after a survey revealed staff at mills in the US are being given financial incentives not to report health and safety incidents.
The US campaign was launched by Workers Uniting – the world's first global union that consists of the United Steelworkers (USW) from America and Canada, and Unite the Union.
It found that the recent increase in fatalities and serious injuries in the paper manufacturing industry may have been caused by employers trying to increase profit margins at the expense of safety.
It also said there have been widespread cut backs on safety training and a reduction of union safety committees.
Workers Uniting will follow up the US campaign with a transatlantic investigation to be launched in the UK in January.
Tony Burke, Unite assistant general secretary, announced the plans at the union's print and paper conference in Brighton.
He said globalisation in the paper industry was "pushing employers to shirk their responsibilities for the health and safety of staff".
"Workers Uniting is very concerned with the emergence of financial reward schemes for reduction in reporting accidents in the workplace," he said. "It is a cynical development designed to hide safety problems and avoid investigation."
USW's International vice president Jon Geenan added: "The safety problems we have discovered in America will already be in existence or will soon be imported into the UK."
The UK campaign will offer a free phone number for members to report unsafe work practices, which will be reported to health and safety authorities in both the US and the UK.