Whistleblowers slam new "speak up or pay up" law

A report by whistleblowers' charity Public Concern at Work (PCAW) warns that workers are now the first in line to be sued following disasters and accidents.

It says that "botched" legislation passed last year means employees may have to pay unlimited damages if they don't speak up about health or safety risks at work - even if there is no negligence on their part.

PCAW says the changes, which amend the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and the Fire Precautions Regulations, have been so badly thought through that they should be withdrawn.

TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson - who raised concerns over the ambiguity of the regulations' wording over two years ago - has asked for them to be amended as a matter of urgency, adding: "There is confusion [and] it is likely that employers will use that confusion to try to shift responsibility from themselves."

The PCAW report, Speak up or pay up, can be downloaded from www.pcaw.co.uk/policy_pub/speakuporpayup.html