Employers can seriously talk rubbish about health

A new leaflet sponsored by major employers including Rolls Royce and Royal Mail is so likely to make safety reps' blood boil that it should carry a health warning.

Work and health, which is also backed by the Health and Safety Executive, denies that health problems such as stress, musculoskeletal disorders and asthma are caused or worsened by work.

It claims that "work usually does not cause any lasting damage" and says that "work or workplace adjustments are temporary measures" - a statement unlikely to reassure those who have a special chair or are exempted from heavy lifting because of their back pain, for example.

The leaflet is also anti-union. In the scenario "Sam's story", a union rep merely advises the worker to make a claim and sends her to a solicitor. And the conclusion, entitled "all pulling together" says unions should simply "work closely with employers to develop and operate return-to-work policies" and get involved in "mediation and facilitation rather than blame and conflict".

The leaflet is available at www.tsoshop.co.uk/gempdf/Work_and_Health_Leaflet_1.pdf