Fantastic work of union reps

The first is a celebration of the fantastic work union reps up and down this country do improving living standards, protecting workers and empowering members.

The second is a piece of legislation aimed at doing the opposite. Clauses 12 and 13 of this nasty Bill will allow the Conservative government to restrict the amount of facility time given to union reps in the public sector. Public sector employers will also have to record how much facility time is taken.

The time given to union health and safety reps to perform their functions is not, and never has been, facility time. It is a separate legal requirement of the Health & Safety at Work Act and the European Framework Directive. However, the Trade Union Bill specifically includes the time taken by union h&s reps in the Bill as facility time. Because the Tories don’t regard health & safety as a priority but as a ‘little extra’ which they can disregard, and discard, when they want.

This isn’t just morally wrong; it will put more hard-working men and women at risk of injury and death at work. And that can’t be right. That’s why ASLEF, along with all the other TUC-affiliated trade unions, is campaigning so hard against this dangerous piece of legislation!