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Workers Rights in Multinational Companies

USDAW

Employers need to pay more attention to the health hazards for women workers and ditch out-of-date assumptions about the nature of ‘women’s work’, says a new survey from British UNI Commerce affiliate USDAW.

A new union report on back pain, which looked at a cross-section of its female membership, showed a high incidence of discomfort among workers involved in lifting, repetitive tasks, and poor working conditions or methods. The survey also casts doubt on the assumption that jobs previously described as ‘women’s work’ do not carry significant health risks.

General Secretary Sir Bill Connor said: “It appears many of our members are soldiering on under very difficult conditions. This is very commendable, but if the risk factors in the workplace that cause back pain were removed, the workforce would enjoy a better quality of life and higher productivity.

“With women making up a large proportion of the workforce, further research into their health and safety is essential. One thing is clear from our survey and that is, old fashioned notions of ‘women’s work’ and the assumption that it carries no health risks is way out-of-date and plain wrong.”

The survey Charting Back Pain found problem areas associated with checkout work included:

• Handling heavy items.
• Faulty or missing checkout chairs.
• Excessive stretching and poor posture.
• Poor checkout design.

Other problem areas included:

• Excessive twisting, stretching and bending.
• Faulty and/or badly loaded roll cages.
• Prolonged standing.
• Heavy and/or awkward loads.
• Repetitive work.

The report concludes:

• Many of the problems could be solved by improved maintenance of equipment or slight modifications to the way the work is organised.
• The whole process was helped if the employer listened to the views and experiences of the workforce.
• Risk assessments by the employer should involve safety reps.
• GPs are often unaware, or lack in-depth knowledge, of occupational health issues.
• Few workers have access to occupational health experts.

For a copy of the Charting Back Pain survey booklet, contact Health and Safety Officer Doug Russell at e-mail health&safety@usdaw.org.uk