Labour Assembly Member John Biggs challenged Mayor of London Boris Johnson for a collective agreement with trade unions to improve health and safety practices on the Crossrail project. Fears over the health and safety practices came to light last week following a fire in the Crossrail tunnel in the Holborn area. A worker is being treated in hospital for severe burns.
Crossrail is the largest construction operation in Europe. Mayor Johnson was questioned directly by Assembly Member John Biggs at yesterday’s Mayor’s Question Time and agreed to investigate concerns raised. He said: “I will certainly look at ways of improving safety for Crossrail, there’s more that needs to be done.”
There have been collective agreements on health and safety matters during the construction of the Olympics and Heathrow Terminal 5 but as yet there is no such agreement for Crossrail.
Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs said:
“The health and safety record for the Olympic Games was a great achievement and I think it is essential that this duty of care is applied to Crossrail. Last week’s fire was hopefully an isolated incident and we must learn from it.
“One of the characteristics of the Olympics was the collective agreement on health and safety and whatever others views on trade unions are, the unions are first and foremost there to ensure the safety and security of workers and the wider public. Boris has made no such agreement for Crossrail, and this is a grave omission.
“Boris needs to show leadership and put a collective agreement on health and safety for Crossrail in place urgently to make sure there are no more serious incidents like this. His predecessor initiated the agreement for the Olympic Park. Mayor Johnson needs to confirm that he is not acting with an anti-union bias and putting the safety and lives of others at risk.”
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