Unions back workplace smoking ban

THE three largest unions in the country yesterday endorsed moves to ban smoking in the workplace.

They called on all Dáil deputies to back Health Minister Micheál Martin’s proposal to impose a ban.

In a letter to all TDs, unions SIPTU, IMPACT and MANDATE said the recent proposal by Junior Minister Noel Davern to allocate one-third of pub space to smokers would not work as bar staff would still be vulnerable to passive smoking.

“It is not possible to hermetically seal one third of a pub, restaurant or hotel for smokers only and prevent smoke coming out and affecting other customers or staff,” the unions said.

They said Mr Davern’s suggestion that ventilation systems could be used would not work either because a recent Health and Safety Authority report has found the most advanced forms of ventilation still leave an estimated environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) risk of 1,500 to 2,500 times the acceptable risk level.

The unions are concerned about jobs and said many smaller premises would be crippled by the costs of installing ventilation systems, with many of them having to shut down.

And the three unions reminded TDs that Ireland’s approach to banning smoking in workplaces is part of a worldwide movement to protect workers.

In the US, New York has just introduced a ban on smoking in pubs, as have over 200 communities in Massachusetts and California.

And in Europe, Finland will ban smoking in all premises by July, while Sweden will introduce legislation this autumn to cover all public places, including pubs, hotels and restaurants.

“The Germans have already defined passive smoke as a carcinogen and have decided to impose a strict ordinance on employers to protect workers from this toxic substance,” the unions added.

New tobacco control measures are to be launched in France and Norway is also proposing a workplace ban.

“In this context, the minister’s proposal to ban smoking in the workplace is very much in line with what is going on elsewhere in the developed world,” the unions said.

Irish workers have a right to work in a clean and safe environment, the three unions said.