Corporate killing laws fall short
19 Jul 06
Scottish MPs and trade unions worried that Westminster laws will remove director culpability
Corporate killing legislation will fall far short of recommendations made to the Scottish Executive - that's the fear of Scottish trade unions and Labour MPs.
They are concerned that the Executive has delayed plans to introduce legislation on responsibility for deaths caused by a company's negligence or lack of care. The UK government will publish corporate killing legislation at Westminster later this week, but it is understood that ministers have taken out the directors' offence which could have resulted in those found guilty being imprisoned.
The details of the original bill had been challenged because certain ministers felt it was anti-business.
The STUC believes the Scottish parliament does have the power to introduce criminal justice legislation to deal with issue of corporate killing - however, this is contrary to the advice provided by the Scottish Executive's lawyers.
John Park of the STUC said he feared the Westminster bill - due for its second reading in the autumn after the Queen's Speech - would not go far enough. He added that the STUC would be meeting with Scottish ministers, MPs and the government to talk about the issue.
The Transport and General Workers Union in Scotland said the legisation was necessary because Scotland had a higher rate of workplace death and injury than the rest of the UK.