Received from: NUJ
Congress notes the radical changes in the nature of work and the increase in night working, not always reflected in better conditions, with employers often failing their duty of care responsibilities to provide a safe working environment for the growing army of people working unsocial hours.
The harmful potential health risks of night working are well established, especially for older women. Congress believes that long-term night workers should be eligible for regular ’holidays‘ from night work and that where possible employers should facilitate moves to other roles where an employee can no longer work night shifts.
Congress notes with concern the growing trend of employers using outsourced company doctors to set aside medical certificates from workers’ GPs proposing exemptions from night working, and routinely cutting corners and costs in the provision of facilities through the night, such as staff canteens.
Congress further believes that the impact of night working should attract a premium in the calculation of workers’ required working hours, and an acknowledgement that hours worked during the night are not equivalent to those in the daytime.
Congress calls on the TUC to campaign for better protections for night workers and to develop a best practice model for unions – that includes a policy on night work that focuses on health, safety and welfare at work and the work/life balance of employees.
National Union of Journalists