A message from Roger

The UCU general secretary ballot result has now been declared and Sally Hunt has been elected. The union and our members face major and difficult challenges from employers and government in almost every aspect of our working lives. The turnout was just 13.9 per cent which in itself suggests the scale of the challenge the union faces. I wish Sally Hunt very well in meeting those challenges. To meet them successfully will require a clear strategic vision and a determined articulate response which members can have confidence in and ownership of. I will seek to play my part in ensuring that is the case through my continuing role as Head of Equality and Employment Rights Finally I would like to sincerely thank the hundreds of members who sent messages of support and campaigned during the election.

Friday, 2 February 2007

Thursday 1st February

Repetitive Strain Injury

I am an academic related member of staff. A number of colleagues have experienced problems with sore wrists and elbows which they think is due to heavy use of PCs as part of their job. What sort of support can UCU give us?

Peter, Central London

One of the immediate benefits of the merger has been an improvement in the health and safety support that branches and Local associations get. I strongly believe that the union should put even more effort into improving the work environment and am pleased health and safety is one of the areas I lead on.

The best approach to problems like Repetitive Strain Injuries is prevention, the main factor is ensuring that the system of work is safe. This is the primary legal duty on the employer. The employer is required to undertake work station assessments, starting with an employee questionnaire, and then followed by a formal assessment. Many employers try to claim that it's possible to let workers do their own assessments, but assessment is a skilled job and requires specific knowledge and some training - some employers employ ergonomists with professional training to do these assessments.

There is a wealth of information available. HSG90 on Display Screen standards. is a start from the HSE, the enforcement agency. You should also ask your employer for either (best option) a copy of the Regulations and Guidance, or (worst option) access to their copy of the booklet. It's title is "Work with display screen equipment" Guidance on Regulations: Code L26. ISBN 0-7176-2582-6; Price £8.85, available from HSE Books Tel: 01787 881165.

Prospect, the union that recruits Health & Safety Inspectors, has produced a particularly good pamphlet on the DSE Regulations and guidance - written by one of their HSE Inspector members, I think. "Upper limb disorders in the workplace" (HSG60) ISBN 0-7176-1978-8 also from the HSE Bookshop is also a useful publication for employers to have - and you, of course

There is a London RSI Support Group whose contact is at http://www.londonrsisupportgroup.org.uk/index/page/contact-home, and there is more general information about the various kinds of strain injury that come under this umbrella on their website. They hold regular monthly meetings, and support other events like international RSI day (24th February this year).

The RSI Association website has some useful factsheets still available - www.rsi.org.uk - particularly on employment issues and details about specific conditions. The new national organisation is RSI Action, set-up in 2006, and their website is www.RSIAction.org.uk

As you know, if members are suffering particular problems that are so disabling that they could lead to them losing their job, it may be possible for them to pursue a compensation claim, although the record of success in these is not good. There are around 150,000 new RSI cases a year, 3000 successful civil compensation claims, and 1,300 Industrial Injury Disability Benefit claims. Men get 3 times as many successful claims as women. Of the 1,300 successful IIDB benefit claims, only about half get any money - because they are assessed at less than the 14% disablement threshold for benefit payment, so no payments are made. (plus 14% assessment gets a payment of 20%). This also reflects the fact that many sufferers are women, and women fare particularly badly in the compensation for work-related injury stakes. Clearly, RSI won't be defeated by letting members get damaged and then claim compensation.

Our experience is that it is only a minority of workers who report problems; many workers never do so. They might be fearful for their job, they may think it is related to other things they do, (knitting, crocheting and playing a musical instrument are often the causes blamed by employers who want to avoid claims); it's a part of getting older - all sorts of things. If you decide that you might conduct a confidential staff survey, our brilliant health and safety adviser John Bamford can help with developing a questionnaire.

The key to a successful strategy is an effective workplace organisation for H&S, with strong member support. That means as many health and safety reps as possible and our office can help you with that – and so can your regional office. The other side of the coin is that successful resolution of a H&S problem is a great recruitment tool for UCU, as H&S improvements are often experienced immediately and directly by members - so publicising successful problem solving is highly beneficial.

Quote of the day

“The change to fee remission policy (on ESOL) will help us to focus limited resources on those learners who most need our support.”

Bill Rammell (honest)
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A trade unionist all his working life. An activist and a proud campaigner, Roger has consistently worked to defend human rights of workers. As the leader of the Equality and Employment Rights team in the newly formed UCU he continues to unite the movement around equality and keep employment rights at the top of the agenda.