The
TUC has warned that the dangers and stresses of the modern working environment
is turning Britain into a ‘sickie nation’.
TUC
general secretary John Monks made the claim after new health and safety
statistics showed the country was losing around 40 million working days a year.
"Britain
is becoming a ‘sickie nation’ because of the stresses and strains of the modern
workplace.
"If
strikes were causing the loss of 40 million days a year, there would be howls
of outrage and immediate legislation. But justified outrage about work-related
illness and injury seems to come only from trade unions," he said.
The
TUC is calling on the Government and employers to improve safety and make
workplaces in the UK less stressful in order to get people back to work. Monks called
for more money to be allocated to the Health and Safety Executive to enforce
health policies.
"Employers
need to wake up and take action to make the working environment safer and less
stressful. And the Government needs to deliver the resources to help employers
prevent injuries and ill health and get people back to fitness and back to
work, with more money for the HSE as a top priority," he added.
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