Better Safety, Better Services

Good turn out at safety protest held yesterday at Tower Hamlets new “Homeless Persons Unit”. The protest was staged at the opening of the unit to protest at the removal of safety screen for staff (see post). Management are refusing to budge. We should now move to ballot members for strike action. I will post a copy of Mick Holders (London Hazards) critical report on the new office and my own trade union safety inspection report on union reps “health & safety” in next few days. Other safety reps can possibly use, if their employers are inappropriately threatening to remove security screens from front line services. Will keep you updated.

Health & Safety protest – Monday 21 May Bethnal Green

(UNISON branch press release) “Tomorrow morning Tower Hamlets staff will be protesting at the lack of a screened reception at the new council Homeless Unit (sorry this is late - see my previous post on this issue)

“Whilst they welcome the bright and friendly reception area in a more accessible location for local people, they are concerned about the lack of safety screens. An independent Health and Safety report confirmed the unions (UNISON and GMB) fears that the low unscreened reception disks represent a real safety risk.

A UNISON spokesperson said "We want to give the best service possible to Homeless People. Unfortunately over recent years the Council and government policy have seen Council homes sold off and inadequate building of social housing. Rules on providing homes for homeless have got tougher and tougher. Inevitably in a minority of cases the understandable frustrations of homeless people, sometimes facing desperate circumstances, are taken out on staff they see. There have been dangerous incidents in the past. We believe a screened environment provides safety for staff, and enables them to provide the best service possible for local people".

What this means in real money is that staff trying to give a good service in very difficult circumstance are going to be at much greater risk of serious assault (or worse). Screens have been removed and there is no adequate protection for staff from being assaulted by clients. If management do not provide a safe working environment there will be a ballot for strike action. We have got no choice.

Picture above is of HPU safety reps Mohammed Yunis (GMB), Agnes Rogers (UNISON) and Kieran Floyd (UNISON) with management during the inspection last Wednesday.

I'll post what happened tomorrow.

Striking over Safety

Strange, last month the “Daily Hate” launched a typically sensationalist attack upon the Health and Safety Executive “nanny state gone absolutely bonkers” et al. In this Jackanory they referred to a largely made up non-story about Tower Hamlets Council “banning staff from putting up Christmas decorations and lights in case they got hurt”.

In the real world, UNISON and GMB safety reps have actually been trying to persuade the Council not to remove safety screens, from the reception desks in the newly refurbished “Homeless Persons Unit” (HPU). The HPU assesses people to see if they are eligible to be rehoused by the council, if they are “homeless” and “vulnerable”. The vast majority of applicants are perfectly decent who are not any threat to staff. However, there is a small minority of homeless applicants (or their friends and family) who can be extremely violent and threatening. Management say that they want to improve the “customer environment” for users and that screens can even provoke violence. Everyone wants to work and provide quality services in clean, bright and modern offices but not at the expense of safety.

The HPU has always had security screens because of the potential risk. In the past screens were removed from local housing offices and “One Stop Shop’s”. However, they had to be reinstalled after a series of assaults and attacks on staff. One of our members on reception was punched in the head and knocked to the floor. She was severally injured and off sick for several months. In another incident a man with an axe jumped over a counter. Staff managed to retreat into a lockable room while he smashed up the office with his axe.

When I last posted on this issue staff had just voted to carry out an indicative strike ballot. In a meeting on Thursday, the results came back from UNISON members, 44 in favour of strike action and 5 against. So we will go for an official ballot. Members at the meeting also voted to support anyone who does not feel safe enough to work on an open reception and in favour of a protest (see picture) on Monday 21 May, when the new unit is due to open. Further details to follow.

On Wednesday 16 May UNISON has employed the respected health and safety specialist, Mick Holder, (member of IOSH) from the London Hazards Centre (LHC) to carry out an inspection of the new office. If management won’t pay any attention to what the people who carry out the job think then perhaps they might take notice of him and start thinking outside the box.

Another irony is that in recent years, the Council has built a number of “Idea Store’s” which manage Adult learning and Libraries services for the borough. These Stores have been very poplar. However, due to violent attacks and hooliganism, they have been forced to employ licensed doormen as security guards. I have spoken to these guards, many of whom are ex-military, who after their shift at an “idea store” go on to work at night clubs wearing body armour. So we have the ridiculous situation that licensed security guards are employed to protect library staff while the HPU will just have untrained “customer service assistants” (who have been told they are really “meeters and greeters”) to protect them.

Council Homeless Persons Unit to ballot for Strike Action over Safety?

UNISON and GMB members of Tower Hamlets Council “Homeless Persons Unit” (HPU) are carrying out an indicative strike ballot of members over health & safety. The Council have decided that there should be no safety screens in the HPU reception desks and most interview facilities. A building in Roman Road Bethnal Green is being refurbished as the new home for the unit. In the past there have been a number of violent incidents at the HPU. It is one of the most difficult and demanding jobs in the Council.As branch health & safety officer I attended an “open air” joint trade union meeting of about 50 staff yesterday in Millharbour, Isle of Dogs, E14. Staff was very worried out the prospect of screens being removed. As a last resort strike action is being contemplated although an urgent meeting with the head of adult services responsible for the unit, is being held next week.

The vast majority of “homeless” applicants are of course perfectly ordinary people who are undergoing a housing crisis and pose no danger. However, there are some people who will vent their frustration on staff, as well as those who abuse alcohol or drugs or suffer from certain mental health illnesses.

Staff do want to give the best possible service however, there has to be a trade off with staff safety. What is being currently proposed would mean that staff can be easily be hit or thumped across the counter and assailants can jump over it and prevent staff from escaping to a safe area. These sort of things actually happen. Not everyday, but often enough (and potentially serious enough) for staff to walk out and strike. Hopefully, we can resolve this without confrontation. Ironically, this is happening on the eve of Workers Memorial Day!