Labour executive denies call to jail directors over safety

Construction unions delivered a blow to official government policy last week when Labour Party conference delegates voted overwhelmingly to imprison negligent directors over site deaths. But the motion later failed.

They initially voted in favour of negligent directors being subject to up to 14 years’ imprisonment if found to be at fault in the case of a fatal site accident.

The resolution was moved by Tony Woodley, TGWU leader, and supported by Alan Ritchie, UCATT general secretary. It was carried by the conference despite failing to win the support of the Labour National Executive Committee (NEC).

The union leaders were seeking to add ‘teeth’ to the government’s Corporate Man-slaughter Bill by the inclusion of specific health and safety duties for company directors.

The NEC’s statement on the issue later failed to include directors’ duties with the threat of custodial sentences. The statement was then defeated on a card vote by 61% to 39%.

Ritchie said: “We are bitterly disappointed that the NEC is not supporting the resolution to hold directors accountable for actions that have resulted in the deaths of thousands of workers in the last 10 years. This is the only way we can bring about the change in culture that is desperately needed to end the work place death toll.”

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