Posted on: 31 March 2026

Dear GMB Union Member,

Workplace exposure to hazardous substances, particularly fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, and airborne particulates, remains a significant occupational health concern across UK industries. As part of our commitment to safeguarding health, safety, and welfare at work, this Workplace Exposure Register has been created in partnership with our law firm Unionline to ensure that workers have a clear, accessible means of recording and evidencing exposure to potentially harmful airborne contaminants.

This register is designed to complement, not replace, the legal duties placed upon employers. Employers are required to assess, control, monitor, and review employees’ exposure to hazardous substances. However, we recognise that workers themselves are often best placed to identify when exposures occur, especially where controls may be inadequate, inconsistent, or poorly implemented.

In February 2019 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reclassified all welding fume, including mild steel, as a Group 1 human carcinogen, with no safe level of exposure. This includes both the visible particulate fume as well as the invisible gases generated during welding operations. Welding fume exposure has been linked to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), occupational asthma, metal fume fever, and long-term neurological, renal, and cardiovascular harm. For these reasons, welding fume is given specific emphasis in this register.

Workers across manufacturing, engineering, shipbuilding, construction, fabrication, and maintenance roles are routinely exposed to welding fume, often in challenging real-world environments where ventilation, extraction, and respiratory protection may be inadequate. Documenting these exposures is essential to ensure early intervention, enforce employer compliance, and protect workers’ long‑term health.

The purpose of this Workplace Exposure Register is to:

Provide workers with a formal mechanism to record instances of exposure to hazardous fumes, dusts, and airborne substances, including but not limited to welding fume, metalworking fluids, silica dust, wood dust, solvents, and combustion products.

Create a contemporaneous record that may assist in enforcing workplace safety improvements and ensuring employers meet their statutory duties under COSHH.

Support members in the event of future industrial disease claims handled through Unionline, by preserving evidence of exposure that may otherwise be lost over time.

Strengthen our ability to challenge unsafe work practices and advocate for better engineering controls, extraction systems, health surveillance, and training.

Who Should Use This Register

Anyone who may be exposed to hazardous airborne contaminants - whether regularly or occasionally - is encouraged to complete this register whenever exposure occurs or when controls fail. This includes welders, fabricators, apprentices, maintenance technicians, cleaners, machine operators, labourers, and any worker who may be unintentionally exposed through bystander contamination or poor segregation of workspaces.

Entries in this register will be securely held and may be used by GMB or Unionline to:

• Identify patterns of unsafe practice
• Support collective bargaining around health and safety
• Strengthen grievances and health & safety reports
• Assist with legal claims relating to industrial disease

By completing this register, members help ensure that exposure risks—especially those as serious as welding fume inhalation—are properly recognised, challenged, and prevented.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PD9HL6M

We urge all members to use this new Register as appropriate.

In solidarity,

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, Acting National Secretary

Matt Roberts, National Officer

Posted on: 30 March 2026

Dear GMB Union member,

Further to our last communication on the rejection of the 4% pay offer, informal meetings have been held between reps and officers of the trade unions and the employer.

Currently the position of the employer is that they are not willing to increase the offer. The employer wanted us to provide you with a pamphlet explaining the offer in more detail and asking you to vote again on the same. However, your reps and officers have rejected this, but invited the employer to send you the note directly, should they wish to do so. We did not believe it was appropriate to ask you the same question again when you have already made a clear decision on the offer.

The employer will arrange an online briefing and Q&A session with the senior management. We would urge all members to attend that meeting, and to ask respectful questions, and make points on the pay offer as you see fit.

As we are at an impasse, the trade unions have now invoked the disputes process and a formal meeting will be held to discuss an improved offer.

Please keep talking to your local GMB Union organiser about the situation and your views on the pay offer, as your feedback is helpful and valued. If you would like a visit from your local organiser, please contact your nearest GMB Union office and refer to this briefing.

We will update members further once the formal dispute meeting has been held. If there is no resolution at that meeting, there may be a further formal stage which could involve the support of Acas.

It has never been more important to be a member of the trade union and have your say on pay. If you have any colleagues who are not yet members, please ask them to join GMB Union online today.

Finally, as members clearly rejected the offer, we will soon arrange a consultative ballot for industrial action. This will be in the form of a survey, to check whether members are prepared to potentially take action since you have rejected the pay offer (but only if the dispute process does not lead to a resolution and a further external legal ballot is conducted).

In solidarity,

Matt Roberts

National Officer

GMB Union

Posted on: 30 March 2026

Dear GMB Union member,

Thank you to all members who took part in the democratic process and had your say on the employer's pay offer. Welcome also to the new members who have joined, together we are a stronger voice in work at Landmarc.

The results are now in and have been counted and checked:

To Reject - 73%

To Accept - 27%

Your officers have now requested a meeting to discuss the rejection and to seek improvements. A date has been agreed for this with the employer and we will communicate with you again soon.

Please continue to talk with your local organisers about pay and conditions, your feedback is very important. If you would like an organiser to visit your workplace, please contact your nearest GMB Union office and refer to this briefing.

In solidarity,

Matt Roberts

National Officer

GMB Union

Posted on: 30 March 2026

Dear GMB Union member,

Thank you to all members who completed the recent pay claim survey we circulated, this was very helpful. Unfortunately we don't currently have an active workplace rep within the company, however, your officers attended a recent pay negotiation meeting with the employer and an offer has been made for your consideration.

If you are interested in a discussion about becoming a rep please speak with your local organiser or contact me direct. Alternatively you may wish to nominate a colleague?

The pay offer is as follows:

• 4% pay rise across the board.
• No increase to allowances as these were raised by 10% in the last deal.
• All rates must be a minimum of 10% above the minimum wage, so anyone impacted by this will get more than the above 4% rise to ensure this is the case.

You will now be asked to vote on the deal by your local organiser from your GMB Nation/Region. If you have any colleagues who are not yet in the union, please ask them to join GMB Union today so they can also vote on this. Only union members get a say on pay at Landmarc.

In solidarity,

Matt Roberts

National Officer

GMB Union