4. SAFETY REPS, SAFETY COMMITTEES AND TAKING ACTION ON HEALTH AND SAFETY

Changes and developments since last year

• the government has continued to attack trade union facility time in the public sector, particularly the civil service;

• fees for taking claims to employment tribunals were introduced at the end of July 2013;

• through the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, the government has introduced a public interest test into the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 requiring whistleblowers to raise concerns which are in the public interest in order to gain legal protection. It will also extend whistleblowing protection to workers bullied and harassed by co-workers. This will apply where a qualifying disclosure is made on or after 25 June 2013; and

• there have been several legal and political developments in the campaign for justice for blacklisted workers.