news release

 

 

no embargo - 4 October 2011 ( Back to news releases)

Bereaved relatives confront Chris Grayling MP at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester Wednesday 4th October 12.30pm

My name is Linzi Herbertson I live in Failsworth, Manchester.  I am a Founder member of a  campaigning/action group called FACK (Families Against Corporate Killers).  I lost my first Husband 13 years ago in a work related incident in Oldham which would not have happened if his employer had complied with basic health and safety law and practice.

Chris Grayling is Minister for the DWP and is responsible for cutting the budget for the HSE by 35 per cent. Minister Grayling has met with business leaders and other interested parties but not families of people killed at work.

We (FACK) have asked to meet the minister on more than three occasions and Grayling has refused us every time, he has told us that he is speaking to the TUC who represent families, but they represent workers, living breathing workers.and not bereaved families, they don't represent us and do not claim to.

Here is a list of interested parties the minister has meet with: the CBI, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Chemicals Industries Association, the EEF, the Alliance of Industry Associations, NFU, the UK Contractors Group and the Environmental Services Association, the Association of British Insurers and Zurich insurance company.

As you can see these are companies with pots of cash, and they can give their money to the party that best serves their interests, but we only have our blood . And it is more of our blood that will be spilled if Grayling’s cuts in enforcement and the deregulation of health and safety law goes ahead.

We have met with Professor Lofstedt who was commissioned by Chris Grayling to  conduct a review into Health and Safety, and given him our evidence to contradict the lies that good health and safety is ‘burden on business’ and that its enforcement is over the top, see http://www.hazardscampaign.org.uk/fack/news/lofstedtresponse.pdf.

No-one we loved was killed by too much regulation or ‘over compliance’ or by fear of enforcement but by the complete opposite.  Professor Lofstedt was openly shocked by what we had to say and his report is due later this month.

For further information see Firm Favourites: Grayling listens to business but not reason: http://www.hazards.org/deadlybusiness/firmfavourites.htm

The business lobby that met Grayling have millions of pounds to donate, we the families only have our blood.  I just want the minister to listen to us, the people who have lost everything through employer's negligence and utter ignorance of Health and Safety law.

Linzi Herbertson Founder member of FACK  07511 954 218,

Facilitator for FACK 0161 636 7557 or 079298 00240