Almost twice as many piece rate workers suffer from workplace injuries as those on standard contracts, according to research from Lancaster University Management School. The increased productivity gained by employers from piece rate work is lost through increased absence and the cost of compensation, the authors note.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and Industrial European Trade Union, the new European trade union that represents seven million workers from a variety of sectors, have launched an informational campaign on REACH, the European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use.
In an argument that sounds familiar on this side of the Atlantic, a group of European employers say that a proposed work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) directive would impose an unbearable administrative and financial burden upon companies – especially small businesses.
The Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) recently adopted a resolution on the future European health and safety strategy.