Thank you to all members who took part in the democratic process and had your say on pay.
The results of the member ballot were as follows:
70% Reject
30% Accept
Therefore you have clearly spoken and a majority have said the offer was insufficient. We are aware that your colleagues who are members of several other major trade unions have also rejected the offer, including members of Unite and Prospect.
Since the closure of the ballot, your reps and officers have continued to seek a way forward. You will see that management did not impose the pay award due to the breadth of rejection from employees. A further meeting will be held on Thursday this week.
Your reps and officers have been pushing for the employer to pay out the bonus (non-consolidated award) as we do not believe this should be held up by the ongoing talks. Our position on this has been set out in writing to the employer.
Your reps and officers are concerned that the employer are stating that it may take until next year to implement the outcome of the ongoing talks. We have been clear that this is unacceptable.
We will update members as the ongoing talks continue. Please keep talking to your reps about pay and conditions. If you do not currently have a GMB rep in your workplace, please consider nominating a colleague for this important role. If you have any colleagues who are not yet members of a trade union, ask them to join GMB online today - together we are stronger.
In solidarity,
Matt Roberts
National Officer
GMB Union
WORKPLACE EXPOSURE (FUME & DUST, ETC.) REGISTER
Posted on:
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.
