REGULATORY BODIES NEED SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING BOOST

The NASUWT  (@NASUWT)– The Teachers’ Union will today call for substantial increases in the budgets of key regulatory bodies which failed to protect frontline workers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Union will tell TUC Congress that the pandemic highlighted the key role that regulators such as the HSE and EHRC should play in ensuring that all workers are safe at work and treated fairly.

However, significant cuts made to the budgets of regulatory bodies over the last decade have left them ill-equipped to protect workers and the public.

The NASUWT is appalled by the lack of prosecutions taken against employers during the pandemic despite thousands of deaths of frontline workers.

The Union is calling on the Government to increase the budgets of the HSE and EHRC substantially and to boost the numbers of inspectors on the ground.

NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said:

“The Government must learn lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Too many employers have failed to meet their legal duties to protect their workforce during this critical period, but have not been held to account for their actions.

“Regulations are completely pointless without enforcement.

“We are determined to highlight the impact of these regulatory failings in the forthcoming Covid-19 independent public inquiry.

“We urge the Government to make substantial increases to the budgets of the HSE and the EHRC.

“Ensuring adequate regulations, inspection and enforcement is key to ensuring that schools, colleges and other workplaces are safe for everyone.”