Employers have responded angrily to the Government’s plans to press ahead with a scheme to recover NHS costs related to workplace accident or illness.
Under the employers’ liability compulsory insurance (ELCI) system, UK organisations will have to contribute to a pool to refund NHS costs.
EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has argued that the ELCI will penalise all employers for the poor performance of a few. It also said the introduction of the scheme would be inappropriate until the Office of Fair Trading has concluded its review of liability insurance.
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Gary Booton, EEF director of health, safety and environment, said: “We have no argument with the ‘polluter pays’ principle which lies behind these regulations. We challenge whether this can actually be achieved with the current proposals.
“By recovering costs from the insurance pool into which all employers are compelled to pay, the Government is letting negligent bosses off the hook and forcing those with good health and safety records to subsidise the worst.”
