Hazards Campaign Thursday Talk – 1 December 2020
Racism and the disproportionate impact on health and safety: Organising to protect workers
The talk featured:
– Wilf Sullivan, TUC Race Equality Officer,
– Moe Manir, Unite Union London bus worker and
– Ameen Hadi, Chair of NW Unison black members committee and Salford Unison branch officer
The speakers discussed:
1. Why is health and safety an equality issue?
2. Why have black workers been impacted more (infected and died) by Covid-19 and were they disproportionately at risk from injuries, ill health and work related deaths before Covid-19?
3. What has managements response been to the increased risks faced by black workers?
4. How can workers respond to the workplace risks?
View the meeting on YouTube here or below:
In addition we shared information about two NEU safety reps who have been dismissed and need support to be reinstated. There are links below:
Louise Lewis Louise was carrying out her role as a NEU H&S Rep, please sign this petition and share widely. We cannot let her employer get away with this!
Action Network petition • Model motion for branches • change.org petition
Please send message of support for Louise to: hazel.danson@neu.org.uk or melanie.griffiths@neu.org.uk
Sharon Morgan Another NEU rep who is in East London, Sharon Morgan, has also been dismissed, without a hearing or an investigation for raising health and safety issues about Covid. Members at her school, London Design Engineering UTC, have been on strike today.
A petition has been launched calling on Sharon to be reinstated and the link is: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sharon
Finally, Wilf Sullivan shared information from the TUC: Dying on the job – Racism and risk at work