Friday 28th November 2003

Trade union Amicus have reacted angrily to news that the Australian Commonwealth Territory (ACT) that includes Canberra has implemented the corporate manslaughter laws that were missing from this week’s Queen’s Speech.

Amicus said that workers in the UK should be celebrating the same industrial manslaughter protection as their counterparts in Australia, especially as corporate manslaughter laws were a UK Labour Party manifesto pledge in 1997.

Derek Simpson, Amicus’ General Secretary, said:

“Australian politicians have implemented laws that mean that employers whose negligent health and safety practices leads to the death and injury will be prosecuted.

“We are extremely disappointed the UK government failed to include the same primary legislation to outlaw killing in the workplace in this week’s Queen’s Speech. Amicus believe that UK workers deserve exactly the same protection at work as their Australian counterparts.”

226 people were killed at work in the UK last year and an estimated 10, 000 people died from occupational illnesses. At least 70% of these deaths and injuries are the direct result of employer’s failure to manage health and safety and could have been prevented.

ACT Industrial Relations Minister Katy Gallagher, who has been the driving force behind the laws, said Australiahad a poor record for workplace safety with on average 50 workers dying a week nationally and there was no sound argument against improving workers safety.

For further information, please contact Catherine Bithell on 020 7 420 8909 or 07958 473 224