16 December 2005
The trade union Amicus has welcomed a report from the Home Affairs and Work and Pensions Committees on that criticises the government's planned new legislation on corporate manslaughter.
Amicus says the report, published today, fully supports Amicus' position in campaigning for changes in the draft bill that will enable senior individuals on companies responsible for the death and maiming of their employees.
Derek Simpson, Amicus' General Secretary, says:
"This report provides even more evidence, if it is needed, that the liability of individuals for companies, health a safety is imperative in raising standards.
"We urge the Government to accept this report and bring an amended Corporate Manslaughter Bill before Parliament as soon as possible. We also want a parallel move in the Scottish Parliament, so that Amicus members have the protection of similar corporate killing laws wherever they work.
"Unless individual managers feel the real heat of the law against them, we do not think company behaviour on health and safety will change. The Government now has the chance to turn up the heat, and we urge them to do it."
Amicus also welcomes many of the other recommendations in the Committee report, including the need to cover contractors and agency workers, the importance of higher fines and more imaginative penalties and the inclusion of deaths resulting from occupational disease as well as from accidents.
Amicus sponsored a report by the Centre of Corporate Accountability last year, 'Making Companies Safe', that drew on research and statistics across the world which found that individual Director responsibility for health and safety and accidents at work was key to reducing workplace accidents and disease.
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