Clothing workers are unhealthiest in region
CLOTHING manufacturing has the unhealthiest workers in Greater Manchester, new analysis has revealed.
An investigation into figures from the Office for National Statistics by our sister paper the M.E.N. has revealed those in the industry are nearly twice as likely to be in bad or very bad health as other workers in the region.
In some areas as many as one in every 20 people employed in the manufacture of clothes is in poor health.
At the same time, workers in this sector are some of the least well paid out of any of the industries.
On average, employed in people clothing manufacturing take home just £14,771 a year, compared to the average of £23,474 a year for all employees.
Within some areas of Greater Manchester, workers in other industries can be more unhealthy than those making clothes, however.
In Oldham, for example, workers involved in manufacturing beverages are more likely to be unhealthy, with around one in every 25 employees in poor health.
Meanwhile, in Salford one in every 20 people who make electrical equipment are in bad or very bad general health.
Responding to the figures, Dan Shears, from GMB, the trade union, said: “It is scandalous that workers’ health continues to be so badly affected by the ignorance and inaction of employers.
“Laws were introduced more than 40 years ago requiring employers to safeguard the health and safety of workers.
“No one expects work to be risk free, but the risk should be reduced as low as possible then managed.
“We are particularly concerned about those negligent employers who know that their work is causing serious harm, and are happy to let the state deal with the consequences through the NHS.
“The economic consequences are profound – more than £14bn per year.
“The only way to tackle this situation is to recruit more inspectors and for them to fully enforce the law.”