Public and Commercial Services Union

Campaigning issues are at the forefront of the union’s agenda as we try to engage with a government determined to destroy the public services that we deliver and that many millions depend upon. 

The ability to get those campaigning issues to an audience as wide as possible is of paramount importance.  Health and safety reps therefore have a key role to play in the current ballot by ensuring those members and non-members they engage with are aware of how crucial a massive Yes/Yes vote is.  

Some key health and safety issues that members face in the workplace will undoubtedly worsen as a result of the coalition government’s ideologically-driven cuts agenda. 

As a direct result of government cut backs, the Health and Safety Executive’s ability as a respected policy maker, regulator and enforcing authority will be detrimentally affected.

As a direct result of council spending cut backs, the local authorities will struggle to address many safety issues as a result.

In the workplace, cuts to staffing and job losses will mean for our members:

• longer working hours, less work life balance.
• increases in stress and mental health problems.
• increases in repetitive strain injury (RSI) and work related upper limb disorders (WRULD).

Stress and RSI/WRULD are in the top three of safety issues reported annually by safety reps to the TUC and each year there is a significant rise in new cases.

Safety reps are an important resource to the PCS as they have easy means of canvassing staff opinion on issues affecting their health, safety and well being.

Using the safety regulations that are available to them they can carry out quarterly inspections of workplaces with or without the employer accompanying them.

Many safety reps are very visible in the workplace as they deal with issues on a daily basis that arise from members and non-members alike and they regularly meet members following accidents, incidents and near misses.

Many safety reps also have additional responsibility for green or environmental issues and green forum meetings can be used to get wider messages and issues across.

PCS safety reps should use all available contacts with members to raise campaigning issues especially when the cuts in funding to the public sector will have an adverse affect on the health, safety and well being of our members.  When talking to non-members about health and safety issues this opportunity should be used to recruit those non-members into the union so they are afforded greater protection.

The areas to concentrate on are:

• Job and funding cuts are resulting in longer hours being worked as departmental targets will remain high to deliver service levels. This can result in more cases of RSI/WRULD as pressure will be applied to give greater output. RSI/WRULD are often long term illnesses that worsen over time that in affect could mean members are forced out of departments through capability procedures. The chances of gaining meaningful employment with an RSI/WRULD illness are severely hampered and if other employment was found the vast majority of people would work in pain for the rest of their lives. Cuts to the Welfare State are making it increasingly difficult to obtain benefit payments to help with disabling illnesses.
• Long working hours causes fatigue and as a result accidents are more likely to happen. These hours may include driving time.  Slips, trips and falls are still high statistically throughout the Civil Service and a tired workforce merely adds to these.
• Job cuts undoubtedly increase stress levels for those that are left to do the work. There is then a greater chance that the member will end up on sick leave that could well result in them being put on a formal procedure as a way to dismiss them and cut jobs.
• Changes to Pension arrangements, the government’s commitment to raising the retirement age and the age at which a Civil Service Pension can be taken all mean that an ageing workforce will have to work longer for fewer benefits.  Female members who are faced with working under greater pressure for longer may suffer greater effects when working through the menopause.

These threats to the health, safety and well-being of our members need not happen.  They should be highlighted in reports, newsletters, via social media and as part of any risk assessments so that health and safety becomes a core part of our national campaign. 

Remember - THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE

• Tackle the £120 billion tax gap of evaded, avoided and uncollected tax.
• Create jobs to boost the economy and cut the deficit. Axing jobs will damage the economy and increase the deficit.
• Increase equality of opportunity.
• Invest in socially useful projects like housing, renewable energy and public transport.
• End the use of consultants.

VOTE YES TO BOTH QUESTIONS