Jump to full article: Financial Times (uk), 2003-08-13
Author: Richard Milne
Intro: Pubs, nightclubs and casinos should brace themselves for a wave of lawsuits and a possible ban on smoking if they do not improve workplace conditions swiftly, trade unions and activists said yesterday.
The warning came after Michael Dunn, a casino worker, received about £50,000 in an out-of-court settlement with Napoleon's Casino in central London, after he claimed he had developed asthma due to passive smoking at work.
The GMB general union, which brought Mr Dunn's case, said it already had four more claims "in progress" and expected several more. . . .
Unison, the public services union that represents many workers in the leisure industry, said: "The next step is pubs and clubs rather than just an office environment. It's not just about customers there; the fact is it is somebody's workplace too."
Both the GMB and Unison are campaigning for employers to have credible non-smoking policies while setting aside space for smokers.
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