The following has been supplied by the TUC:
A decision by the government to impose an 'employee interests' representative on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) board who did not have the support of trade unions has led to serious concerns about the independence of the official safety watchdog. The government is legally required to consult with 'bodies representing employee interests' before appointing the three employee board members, who have always been active trade unionists supported by the TUC. This year the TUC supported a candidate who is both on the TUC's general council and has an enviable track record on safety issues, Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The government instead hand-picked a retired union general secretary, Jonathan Baume, who had not been nominated by a single union. According to TUC head of organisation Kevin Rowan: 'The decision not to appoint Matt Wrack shows exactly what the government wants, which is a compliant board there to administer the organisation and make sure it delivers what the government wants. It wants to smother any independence and any challenge.' He said as a result 'we will end up with a board of professional committee-members', adding that with the exception of the two remaining union-nominated non-executive board members, all 'are either retired or semi-retired consultants.' He warned: 'The losers will not be the TUC, but the credibility of the government's claim to have an independent HSE and ultimately the workers whose lives and health will be put at risk.' Commenting on the government snub to Matt Wrack, the union's general secretary, FBU president Alan McLean said: 'The decision of the government not to appoint him suggests a serious weakening of any commitment to health and safety. Firefighters know very well that health and safety is not a matter for silly press stories - it is frequently a matter of life and death. The government's decision further threatens the future of health and safety provision for workers in the UK.'
