Campaign to investigate cancer fears in semiconductor manufacturing comes to Oldham

 In 1998, a group of workers at the National Semiconductor manufacturing plant in Greenock, Scotland, became concerned about the high incidences of certain cancers and other ill-health problems occuring within their group. With the help of local Greenock Trades Council officer Jim McCourt, PHASE Two was formed - the name stands for People for Health And Safety in Electronics. The group is PHASE Two after the original PHASE which had been formed in the USA some years before.

Both PHASE organisations have successfully raised their health and safety concerns with the relevant authorities in the teeth of employer hostility towards trade union organisation. In the UK, the HSE were so concerned that an immediate investigation was undertaken at National Semiconductor. This was completed in 2001, and although a general increase in cancer cases was not established, there was sufficient concern about the numbers of four specific types of cancer for the HSE to rcommend that an industry-wide study should take place.

The employer's association - the National Microelectronics Institute - has been implacably opposed to the industry-wide study since the proposal was made. The NMI argues that there is no evidence which supports the need for a study, and there are two other studies already underway which will demonstrate that no problem exists. The two studies are a follow-up at National Semiconductor, and an industry-wide study in the USA due to report in 2012. PHASE Two rejects this argument as, by definition, the Nat Semi study is too limited in scope, and the US study is unreliable as it is not independent of the industry. Also the conditions in other countries may be different to the UK's, making any conclusions of doubtful value.

Since 2001 there has been no progress on the UK industry-wide study. The NMI and the HSE both argue that the other should fund the study. The NMI opposes the study in principle, and successfully convinced the HSE that there were doubts about the feasibility of collecting relevant personnel records from the semiconductor businesses where they still existed. In response to this, the HSE conducted (and funded) a feasibility study, which reported in 2005 that the study was indeed feasible. The HSE repeated its recommendation that the study should go ahead, but stil the issue of funding is unresolved.

Matters came to a head in 2007 with the publication of an independent study into cancers in IBM workers in the USA. Whilst not exactly mirroring the results of the Nat Semi investigation, the research once again did find greater than expected incidences of certain types of cancer. This report was picked up by Unite the Union's national officer for the Electronics industry, and a campaign of high-level lobbying has been carried out since then.

The union at Zetex Semiconductors in Chadderton, Oldham, had been monitoring events since the 2001 findings were published, and local reps have been involved in the Unite delegation to DWP minister Lord Mackenzie at the end of 2007. Lobbying of the minister is a work in progress, but Unite and local MP Michael Meacher are extremely disappointed that the DWP has failed to use its enforcement powers to compel the NMI to conduct the study.

There are hopeful signs, however. The lobbying has produced a policy shift by Zetex, where the management recognises that there is a strong case for doing the study and either identifying that a problem exists or putting workers minds at rest if one does not. It is to be hoped that other NMI members also take this sensible and responsible approach, and break ranks with the NMI.

Oldham TUC combined with the Unite Chadderton Branch on Workers Memorial Day 2008 to raise the profile of the campaign. PHASE Two secretary Grace Morrison was accompanied by Greenock TUC officer Jim McCourt at the WMD ceremony in Oldham town centre, where Grace accepted the Andrew Herbertson Memorial Award for their contribution to enhancing worker safety in Oldham.

At the time of writing Lord Mackenzie has postponed Unite's request for another meeting until the autumn. We will post an update when this happens, or if there are any other developments in the meantime.

The links below will take you to some documents which lay out the science behind the research done so far, and what Unite is trying to achieve by lobbying the government.

Overview of scientific research

Unite briefing 2007

WMD Oldham 2008

We also reproduce below an overview of PHASE Two, written by Grace Morrison.

 

People for Health and Safety in Electronics (Phase Two)

 

A Short history of Phase Two

 

Phase Two was established in 1998 by a group of women employees from the semiconductor industry who claim that their health has been damaged through exposure to chemicals they used in the workplace.

 

The group, which consists mainly of women from a working class background, believe that their employer concealed the fact that the chemicals and toxins used in the industry were the cause of cancers miscarriages and many other illnesses among the workforce. They also claim they were denied the right to union representation.

 

Also attracted to the group were intellectuals in the form of Professor Andrew Watterson from the University of Stirling and Dr Joseph Ladou from the University of California who reinforced the group’s ideology at conferences, forums and discussion groups.

 

Later as Phase Two became well established an alliance was formed with Friends of the Earth (Scotland) which brought some elements of deep ecology values to the group in the form of a growing awareness that change can be brought about by building a social order which treats all beings in the ecosystem with equal value

 

Concurrent with the formation of Phase Two was the development of international groups such as The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition which proved to be an important source of information and resource for the group, and which pointed the way to alliances with workers and academics from Thailand, Mexico, the USA, Europe, and Malaysia.

 

Current Historical practice

 

Initially Phase Two was set up as a support group for women from the semiconductor industry to share experiences of working in the industry. Around 200 workers contacted the group citing a range of illness from cancers to Crone’s disease. It was thought that they would derive psychological benefit by sharing their harrowing experiences of working at the plant. The media weren’t long in showing interest in the group. Always interested in cancer stories this time was no different. There followed many TV Radio and newspaper articles, none more influential than the Article in the Wall St Journal in October 1998 written by Bill Richards, who spent 2 days in Greenock interviewing members of the group. This article was responsible for National Semiconductor taking the group seriously, whereas previously they were dismissed as nothing more than uneducated troublemakers. Having got wind of when the article was to appear the company announced on the day of publication that they were laying off 500 workers. They didn’t of course. It was just a way of diverting attention from the Wall St Journal article. The group were unpopular with the local council as well as Scottish and Westminster MP’s: being seen as a threat to the Golden Goose of Scotland – the electronics industry.

 

Since then the group has continued to campaign for improvements in occupational health and safety within the semiconductor industry. The group believe that they have raised the profile of the industry to such a degree that they will not be taken lightly in the future.

 

One of Phase Two’s most important achievements was in securing a study into cancer rates at National Semiconductor. The study will be carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and will be the first study of its kind carried out in the industry.

 

 

 

Strategic Plan for the future

 

 

• Securing a cancer study into the industry is one our most important achievements but much remains to be done to ensure the study is carried out properly. The study is seriously behind schedule as the company nitpick, debate, delay and try to water down the study, therefore we need to 

continue to apply pressure at local and national level to ensure that the study is fair and balanced in order to obtain the groups’ objectives

 

• Although Phase Two are satisfied that a study is to be carried out, the original request was for an ill health study. We have not given up on this idea and we will be looking at ways to bring this request back on the agenda.

 

• The group will continue to campaign for improvements in occupational health and safety within the semiconductor industry. Although Phase Two have been responsible for many improvements in the industry there are still many instances of environmental injustice including denying the workforce the right to trade union representation.

 

• The group will continue to maintain and develop links and form alliances with other groups, activists and campaigners, particularly those from developing countries where many semiconductor plants are re-locating, and where many of the illnesses common in UK semiconductor plants are emerging.

 

 

 

Grace Morrison

Secretary Phase Two

8^th April 2008