Commercial drivers win the right to spend a penny

Thanks to the union-secured deal, employers in control of non-domestic premises are now obliged to allow people who are not their employees but use their premises to access toilets and washing facilities. Unite says the change in the regulations is a result of its campaign to end the problem of drivers having to go to the toilet behind bushes, or needing to continually ‘hold on’ due to being denied access to toilet facilities.

Unite argued this has wide-ranging health implications, including urinary tract infections, damage to the bladder and the bowel, and a build-up of toxins in the body. Women drivers have additional requirements to have access to toilets and face the a risk of developing infections if they are denied such access. Access to washrooms is doubly important where delivery workers are handling food or might be exposed to hazardous materials.

Unite national officer Adrian Jones said: “Finally drivers have won the right to access toilet facilities when making deliveries. This reform would not have occurred without Unite’s continued campaigning on this matter. This change in the application of the regulations is highly significant as it restores the dignity of drivers by giving them the right to use an employer’s toilet and hand washing facilities.”

He added: “If employers continue to refuse our members access to toilets we will pursue them through all avenues open to us and that will include naming and shaming companies that deny drivers the right to spend a penny.”