Enterprise Bill unfair to injured workers
Posted: January 15, 2013
Posted in: Workplace Injuries
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has spoken out against Government plans to change workplace law, claiming that they are a license for rogue bosses to let safety standards fall.
The criticism comes as the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill is debated in the House of Lords. A new clause was introduced to the Bill as it went into its final stages in the House of Commons, which effectively waters down workplace health and safety regulations across the board, claims APIL, which is lobbying for the clause to be dropped.
“The Government is trying to overturn 100 years of legal procedure by making the injured worker have to provide all the evidence to prove that the employer who has injured him was at fault,” explained APIL president Karl Tonks. “This is grossly unfair as it tilts the playing field in favour of negligent bosses”.
“Many people will be put off altogether from making genuine claims for the compensation they may desperately need to get back on their feet, as the fight will be so difficult,” Tonks added. “This is effectively a license for negligent employers to avoid their health and safety responsibilities. And, if the guilty party does not make proper recompense, the state will have to foot the bill for medical care and other support.”
“There were more than 111,000 workplace injuries in Britain between 2011 and 2012,” he said. “We certainly don’t want to see any more.”
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