Union Action On Climate Change – A Trade Union Guide – LRD Booklet 2019

Dire warnings that time is running out to tackle rising carbon emissions and global temperatures have propelled the climate change crisis to the top of the political and union agendas.

In the wake of climate change stark warnings of the need for urgent action we’ve seen recent mass protest action by Extinction Rebellion and student and school climate strikers for example.

As well as setting out the effect of national and international level union policy and action, including the need for a just transition to a low carbon economy, a new booklet from LRD gives practical advice to trade union representatives and aims to provide information, advice and practical guidance about what action local reps can take in their workplaces.

This booklet aims to help trade union reps play their part in tackling the climate emergency and other environmental problems.

It looks in detail at:

• the causes and consequences of climate change;
• the importance of ensuring a just transition and decent jobs in moving towards a low-carbon economy;
• the role of green union reps;
• trade union policy on energy generation;
• union policy, advice, training and action on transport and air pollution;
• waste and recycling and workplace action to reduce waste;
• case studies and examples of how union reps are taking action at their workplaces are detailed throughout.

Single copies of the Booklet cost £10.95 but orders over 100 reduce the price to £6.02 a copy for branches considering bulk orders.

Orders can be made on line here:-

https://www.lrdpublications.org.uk/publications.php?pub=BK

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB557 Union Action On Climate Change – A Trade Union Guide – LRD Booklet 2019

CWU Representatives Work Stress Guide

The carriage of Motion 69(2018) established the Union’s policy of developing a Mental Health Strategy and as branches will know a number of updates have been published on the ongoing development of the strategy containing a number of strands which includes the provision of advice, guidance and communications with branches, reps and members on issues of building awareness and encouraging openness as well as support for reps affected by the increasing stress of the job and that work is ongoing.

Many members come to place additional demands on their local branch representatives, believing them to be capable of delivering all that they want and in their preferred time frame. Trade union and safety representatives are placed under much more pressure today and are under the microscope by employers. All of these pressures and especially those of members in need are creating high stress levels for elected representatives. Local branch trade union and safety representatives are not paid for this work and they deserve to be recognised for their excellent contribution but at the same time recognising that they are also entitled to a life of their own.

As part of the union strategy a CWU Representatives Work Stress Guide has been produced, in conjunction with the trade union supported ‘UK National Work Stress Network’ organisation which is part of the ‘Hazards Campaign’. The guide contains a list of basic, sound guidance points which representatives should follow and which we hope will be useful to regions and branches to distribute to CWU local, area and branch reps, especially new reps.

The Guide can be downloaded and printed locally or we can supply copies to branches on request. We hope and trust the Guide will be helpful in getting basic sound guidance to our reps.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB556 CWU Representatives Work Stress Guide

CWU Representatives Work Stress Guide(V1Sept2019)

Health & Safety North Conference and Exhibition at ‘Event City’ Manchester on 8-9 October 2019. (A Free to Attend Event)

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

This ‘Free to Attend’ event was established in 2007. Health & Safety North is a combined Safety Industry Exhibition and Conference with a number of seminars on various safety subject matter of interest to Safety Managers and Trade Union Health and Safety Representatives alike. The organisers, which include the British Safety Council, state that the event creates a space for the health and safety community to come together to explore current issues and propose answers for the future as well as look at the latest products and innovations available to the health and safety world. Registration is free now. Health & Safety North 2019 has a host of features aimed to provide the Health and Safety Community value from a visit to the show – all for FREE.

Registration provides access to two days of professional content seminars designed specifically for the health and safety practitioner in partnership with the British Safety Council. Speakers include industry leaders and key industry influencers as they discuss, debate and confront the biggest challenges facing the Health and Safety Industry in 2019.

Full Seminar Programme Now Available For Health & Safety North 2019

The full seminar programme for Health & Safety North 2019, supported by educational partner the British Safety Council, is confirmed and ready to view.

Some of the key sessions to look out for:

Lessons from the introduction of ISO 45001

The first organisations were certified to the new management systems standard in March 2018. Come and hear what you can learn from the gap analyses and systems audits to date and what your organisation needs to do to meet the standard’s new requirements. Also look at the criticism levelled by the HSE against non-statutory standards and “blue tape”.

Working at height and preventing falls

Work at height is one of the high-hazard activities that take place on most organisations’ premises. Even when contractors carry out the work, the liability for any accident may be shared by the client. This session will cover the simple steps you can take to check anyone working at height is competent and properly equipped for the job.

Respiratory Protection and face fitting guidance

Supplying respiratory protection equipment (RPE) without making sure it fits properly is a waste of money and can increase the risk of respiratory disorders. This session will bring together experts to advise you on how to ensure the best fit for all faces and make sure RPE serves its purpose.

Slips, Trips and Falls

Whatever sector they are in, most organisations find slips and trips are the most common cause of entries in their accident books. From coefficients of friction to behavioural modification, experts will discuss the causes of slips and trips and smart ways to reduce them.

All sessions featured in this seminar programme are CPD accredited.

Key Sessions include:

• ‘Building Wellbeing’ – Greg Davies
• ‘Health and Safety legislative update’ – Chris Green
• ‘Slips, Trips and Falls’ – The Science Behind

Take a look at who you can hear from and the topics available to develop your knowledge and insight in this sector. See the full Seminar Programme here.

Opening times:

Tuesday 8th October
09:00 – 16:00

Wednesday 9th October
09:00 – 15:30

Venue:

EventCity
Phoenix Way, off Barton Dock Road
Trafford City
Manchester
M41 7TB‎

The Health and Safety North Conference and Exhibition is co-located with Fire Safety North an independent event complete with free-to-attend CPD accredited content and major brand representation that will help fire and safety professionals achieve and maintain the very highest standards of fire safety management. Delegates can attend this event for free also. Register here for your free entry to Fire Safety North.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB554 Health & Safety North Conference and Exhibition at ‘Event City’ Manchester on 8-9 October 2019

Scottish Parliament Review of Dog Attacks and Dog Control Laws:

LTB 444/19 updated Branches on the Scottish Parliamentary Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee Review of Dog Attacks and Dog Control Legislation in Scotland.

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department has been working extremely hard campaigning in Westminster, Scotland and Wales, pressing the Governments to review the Dog Control Laws and their enforcement, as despite the significant law changes achieved by the CWU Bite-Back Campaign, leading to more prosecutions, dog attacks on CWU members continue at an alarming rate with members receiving horrific injuries in some cases.

The Union has been successful in gaining the support of all political parties during our campaigning and as previously reported. Following extensive lobbying followed by both written and oral evidence given to the Scottish Public Inquiry, the Scottish Parliamentary Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee published a very strong, hard hitting report and recommendations welcomed by the Union in which the MSPs agreed with the CWU that the dog law has been ineffective.

The CWU wholeheartedly congratulates all members of the PAPLS Committee in their thorough investigation of the dangerous dogs and dog control problem and the key findings which cannot be ignored as follows:

1. There is an unacceptably high prevalence of dog attacks in Scotland and numbers have increased (and continue to increase).
2. Dog attacks levels are a ‘national crisis.’
3. Dog control legislation is weak and ineffective.
4. The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 has had limited effect in preventing or reducing the number of dog attacks in Scotland.
5. The current dog control law is not fit for purpose and a comprehensive review of all dog control legislation must take place without delay.

Those points sum up in a nutshell, very powerfully the current situation and the task facing the Scottish Government.

The CWU has told the Scottish Government that the key changes required include:-

• Ending the “One Free Bite” Rule which is applied in Scotland (meaning that irresponsible dog owners are not prosecuted even if their dog attacks and badly injures someone but has no previous known history of attacks or aggression).
• The Legislation needs urgent consolidation, simplification and amendment to the Dangerous Dogs Act Section 10 in particular.
• Enforcement must be stepped up and properly resourced.
• The Courts require clear guidance on sentencing and must use the full range of penalties and ancillary orders.
• Destruction and Contingent Destruction Orders must be part of sentencing in aggravated offence cases.
• Automatic dog ownership bans for those convicted of aggravated dog control offences
• Mandatory third party liability insurance must be introduced to ensure all victims receive just, injury compensation underpinned by a ‘fund of last resort’ as in both motor accident injuries and asbestos diseases.
• Reinstatement of Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) awards to dog attack victims.
• A programme of public awareness and education including an element in schools.
• Correct and consistent use of Dog Control Notices (DCNs).
• Increased numbers of Police Specialist Dog Legislation Officers and Local Authority Dog/Animal Control Wardens.
• Minimum conditions added to all Dog Control Notices such as Third Party Liability Insurance, muzzle on lead in public, secure premises, owner and dog training.
• Enforcement of the ‘Control of Dogs Order 1992’ which requires a collar and ID tag to be worn by all dogs or a maximum £5,000 fine.
• The introduction of Dog Licences (such as in Northern Ireland) with funds raised ring-fenced for dog control enforcement – in Scotland with an estimated dog population of 800,000 this would raise £8m.

We currently await the Scottish Government’s response to the PAPLS Committee’s Report and the Scottish Parliament is due to debate the report and response on 1st October.

The Communication Workers Union has written to Ash Denham the Scottish Parliament Minister for Community Safety urging the Government to accept the Report and Recommendations in full and has also written to all MSPs of all parties asking for their support when the debate takes place and decisions are made.

Also three example cases with graphic photos of the members’ horrendous injuries have been sent to the Minister, Government and MSPs to drive home the importance of tackling this ‘national crisis’ of dog control.

See attached copy of letter to the Minister and images of the victims, CWU members John Browne Elgin Delivery Office, John Diggle Thornhill Delivery Office and Lynn Ferguson Tranent Delivery Office. The CWU thanks the three members for their support in allowing their cases and photographs to be used in furtherance of our campaign.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB553 Scottish Parliament Review of Dog Attacks and Dog Control Laws

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John Diggle Postman Thornhill DO Dog Attack 20.12.18 (Injury Photos)