TSSA Member Urges Non-Union Members to Join The Union
A TSSA member who received a five-figure damages settlement for a shoulder injury he suffered at work today urged non-members to join the Union.
The member was pulling a vessel’s headline along a riverside quay to hook it over a bollard in August 2004 when he jarred his shoulder after the heavy rope caught on a large crack in the quayside where a chunk of concrete was missing. Despite the problems with the quay being previously reported, no repairs were made until after the member’s injury.
The member had tried to manage the pain with painkillers, steroid injections and therapy. Medical evidence showed he needed surgery for a rotator cuff tear. He already had contacted an accident helpline when his local TSSA rep pointed out that his claim could be covered by the union. “My local rep said I should go to TSSA because my union fees cover all that,” said the member earlier today, “and I’m glad I did.”
“I’ve been a member of TSSA, on and off, for over 18 years now, and I’ll continue to stay. Their support for me was top notch and the service from Morrish Solicitors was first class. I wouldn’t ever leave the union,” he said.
“We need more members in our workplace so we can have a better voice in the workplace. I keep telling people, for the cost of 4 pints a month, you can join and get the full benefits. We run very high risk jobs down here on the water. Health and safety is a massive concern and you need all the support you can get,” he said.
“I still suffer from my injuries, especially when the cold gets in there. I used to swim and go to the gym regularly before the incident. I am still able to do both, but my movements are quite restricted now,” he said.
Christine Ellis of Morrish Solicitors today said “Statistics show that unionised workplaces have half the number of accidents as their non-unionised counterparts, because they carry out health and safety practices in the workplace. Like all accident victims, our client would prefer to be uninjured and without compensation than be in his current situation where he still suffers pain. Employees have the right to come home from work uninjured.”
For further information please contact Morrish Solicitors on 033 3344 9600.
