.gif){kind=small}
BACK TO HOME
PAGE BACK TO HOME
PAGE EUROPEAN REVIEW
|
WHILE STRESS MIGHT BE THOUGHT TO be a modern plague which affects workers in all kinds of jobs, the union confederation UNI-Europa has highlighted the unpaid overtime worked in the financial services sector as contributing to particular problems in that industry. They have challenged employers to take action on the issue without result so far but delegate after delegate at the recent UNI-Europa Finance conference in Luxembourg called for further pressure to be applied. Growing workloads, fewer staff, outsourcing, a lack of control of working lives, targets, measurements and longer working hours were all |
|
identified as factors. In Europe, the latest figures show that occupational stress ranks second among work-related health problems and affects over 40 million people. 500 million working days are lost every year and the cost to the European Union is running at €20 billion. A European day of action on stress is under consideration as well as a specific campaign to tackle long working hours in finance jobs. UNI-Europa President Sandy Boyle called stress 'this cancer which is eating away at our workplacesÉ. RBS bank has just made £7.1bn profit. The message to staff is "if you make £7.1bn next year you are failures"' |
|
Stress is common in the finance sector |
IT SEEMS THAT, NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, the UK government has orchestrated a blocking minority to hold up a directive that trade unions feel is much needed. The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) have protested to the British transport secretary, Alistair Darling about efforts to form an alliance with Germany and the Netherlands to sabotage a plan to bring in licensing for airline cabin crew. The directive seeks to recognise their training, professional competence and safety and security roles. This apparently uncontroversial measure is even more important, say the ITF, in the new security environment where cockpit doors are locked in the event of emergency, leaving flight attendants to handle it on their own.
Licences already cover other airline staff and, around the world, about 50% of cabin crew are certificated or licensed. This includes the United States which recently brought in a scheme. Commented ITF general secretary David Cockroft: 'We find the position of the UK government hard to understandÉ We wonder, therefore, whether a factor influencing decision makers might be that the affected workforce is largely female compared to their already licensed and predominantly male counterparts in the cockpits, repair stations and towers'.
In issue 25 we outlined the struggle that the Norwegian and Irish governments were having in instituting smoking bans in work and public places. Eventually, in both countries, opposition from pub landlords was overcome. Together with a similar law in New York, these successes have put pressure on the UK government to revise its delaying tactics on the subject. Irish health minister Micheal Martin stated that 'Generally speaking the world has gone on pretty much as before', with 97-98% of workplaces complying with the ban, he said.
Opinion polls in the UK found that 52% of British adults favour a total ban and 78% in London want a ban inside licensed premises while catering staff members of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) have voted in favour of smoking being outlawed in bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants. Faced with these figures it seems that the British government has changed its position: a spokesman revealed that 'A smoking ban in public places will be with us soon.' In Scotland a consultation exercise will run until September but the Scottish executive has said it will not shrink from 'appropriate action' if opinion is in favour of a ban. The Scottish Licensed Trade Association has argued that this would create a nation of 'couch potatoes'.
|
Back to |
Forward to |
Up to |
Back to |
