Facilities for Green Reps

It’s encouraging to find that far more joint discussions are taking place at work on energy and resource issues since our last national green workplaces survey in 2009. Good employers across the public and private sectors are evidently reaching voluntary agreements for environmental reps to take on energy and resource issues at work, as well as providing time for shop stewards and health and safety reps to take on green issues. Aside from the environmental case for action at work, using resources more efficiently makes good business sense.

Nevertheless, employers could clearly do a lot more of the basic things needed to green their enterprises. Only a third of employers covered by this survey are providing an annual environment report. About one in 10 reps (147 respondents; 12%) could confirm that they have facility time to carry out duties specifically with regard to the environment/climate change. Just one in five shop stewards say that they have been able to get time off to attend a union-organised environmental training course.

To help address these issues, TUC Congress 2009 supported a motion on Climate Change which included rights for workplace environment reps. Unions want environmental representatives to be able to take reasonable time off during working hours to:

• promote environmentally sustainable workplace initiatives and practices;

• carry out energy audits and environmental risk assessments;

• consult with their members and management on sustainable environmental policies, practices and management systems;

• receive relevant advice and training