Jeni D
It can get a lot worse.
These things do occur and having worked for the trade union movement for 22 years there are plenty of examples of worker abuse which have been verified, without bothering with any of Mr Flibble's rumours.
You may recall that over 40 construction companies were caught supporting and using an illegal blacklisting operation, which covered around 3,200 construction workers in 2009. The blacklist was run for construction company members by the notorious Consulting Association. Subscribing companies included several of the well known large construction companies.
Yesterday Carillion, Carillion (JM) Ltd and Schal International Ltd agreed a construction worker - Dave Smith – had been blacklisted because of Mr Smith's trade union activities and because he raised concerns about health & safety. The companies also admitted that their managers supplied information to the Consulting Association, which was prosecuted for operating the illegal blacklisting database.
Source:
www.peoplemanagement.co....cial-was-blacklisted.htmIf this is how some big construction companies show their Respect for People one can only speculate as to how some of the smaller companies treat their workforce.
Apparently around 100 blacklisted construction workers are putting in claims for compensation at the High Court. 3,200 workers on an illegal blacklist – 100 claims for compensation: hardly evidence of a catastrophic ‘compensation culture’ - or indeed the ‘health and safety monster’ as the Prime Minister put it.
Of course it is unfair to single out the construction sector. Plenty of other employers abuse workers.
A report of an investigation into the meat and poultry sector by the Equality and Human Rights Commission stated the following:
‘We found evidence of widespread poor treatment of agency workers, particularly migrant and pregnant workers, both by agencies and in the meat processing factories. Some amount to breaches of the law and licensing standards – such as coercing workers to do double shifts when they are tired or ill. Others are a clear affront to respect and dignity.
This mistreatment not only blights the lives of individuals, but damages good relations in the workplace and communities. Yet much of it remains hidden. Sadly, many of these agency workers endure even physical and verbal abuse without complaint, fearful that complaining will wreck their chance of securing stable employment.’
Source: Inquiry into recruitment and employment in the meat and poultry processing sector: EHRC March 2010 - a copy of the report can be downloaded at:
www.equalityhumanrights..../meat_inquiry_report.pdfWelcome to the 21st Century!
Cheers.
Nigel