4. Safety reps, safety committees and taking action on health and safety

Changes and developments since last year

• The TUC has published a new guide demonstrating the benefits of unions to individual workers, employers and wider society.

• The TUC has revised its publication on the legal rights of safety reps known as the “Brown Book.

• Civil service health and safety reps are reporting continued attacks on their trade union facility time.

• The HSE has introduced a new system for safety reps to report problems at work after formal processes have failed.

• There is new case law on protection for whistleblowers under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

• Sir Robert Francis recommended the appointment of a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian for every NHS employer.

• Public services union UNISON’s challenge to the lawfulness of employment tribunal fees took another step forward. It was granted permission by the Court of Appeal to proceed with appeals against High Court decisions refusing its two Judicial Review applications.

• There have been several new developments in the campaign for justice for blacklisted workers, including a successful employment tribunal case for compensation.