Cable attacks health and safety

Derek McMillan

Con-Dem economic wizard Vince Cable has outlined his plans to ditch health and safety checks. We all know tabloid jokes about health and safety regulations.

However, we expect to buy food that won't make us ill, and to work in a safe environment. It is the "red tape" the government wants to destroy that ensures this is so.

Unsurprisingly Alex Eichmann, head of regulatory policy at the Institute of Directors, welcomes government efforts on deregulation "Excessive regulation costs time and money, both of which businesses would rather spend on developing new products, hiring staff and building up British business both here and abroad." He failed to mention what a good idea "deregulating" the banks turned out to be.

It's ABC to any union health and safety rep that if a company can maximise its profits at the expense of its employees' health and safety it will do so.

The only guarantee that employers will exercise a "duty of care" for employees is strong union organisation.

Union health and safety officers will have to take on the role which the Health and Safety Executive shamefully abandoned.

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