Fans kick start their journey to the Champions League final

AIRPORT Parking and Hotels (APH) is supporting Liverpool FC's Champions League bid by offering fans travelling to the game a 10% discount on airport parking, airport hotels and airport lounges at UK airports. 

Over 20,000 Liverpool supporters will be watching their team play live in the Champions League final against A C Milan on the 25 May, which kicks off at 8:45pm at the Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul. Flights to Istanbul depart from various UK airports including Manchester, Liverpool John Lennon and London Gatwick.

This offer is valid for bookings made up until 25 May 2005.

Examples of savings:-

Manchester Airport:- Hotel accommodation at the popular Bewley's Hotel for the night before the flight and up to 8 days' parking, £86.40 per double room - saving 10%.

London Gatwick Airport:- 2 days' valet parking*, £16.85 - saving 10%.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport:- Use of airport lounge, £13.46pp - saving 10%.

For further information and reservations please contact Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) on:- 0870 733 0515 quoting 'Liverpool'. Further information also available at:- www.aph.com 

Usdaw lobbies MEP's to scrap Britain's long hours culture

THE SHOP WORKERS union Usdaw has lobbied MEP's to support scrapping the UK's opt out of the Working Time Directive which has fuelled a long hours culture in the retail sector. MEP's have voted this week, Wednesday, on a proposal to scrap the UK's opt out that allows workers to sign away their rights to work no more than 48 a week on average and Usdaw is urging Britain's representatives in Brussels to support retail workers.

The union carried out a survey of nearly 2000 of its members discovering that a 3rd worked an average of more than 48 hours a week and of whom a staggering 95% wanted to work less hours.

"This is an issue of both fairness and saving our members lives. We don't want our members to feel under pressure to work long hours and all the evidence says fatigue is a significant factor in workplace accidents so it is a matter of life or death in some cases.

The reality is we have the worst long hours culture in Europe which means our members suffer from a range of stress related illnesses and it also wrecks their family life. One driver told us that he loved his children but because of the hours he worked he didn't know them. That's tragic and such a waste." Says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett.

The survey revealed a disturbing lack of support from employers for long hours workers with more than half being told it was a condition of their employment to work long hours or being put under serious pressure to sign an opt out. 

The health and safety of employees is also being ignored with only 1% of long hours workers being offered a risk assessment and only 2% being offered a health assessment to monitor their physical and mental condition.

"We think it is crystal clear that the opt out has been a failure for our members who are suffering serious health problems and for employers who are seeing productivity slump as their workers get more and more tired.

We've been lobbying MEP's to support this much needed change and we're confident they will see the need to protect some of the most vulnerable workers in our society from being worked into an early grave."

NEW HEATWAVE PLAN PUBLISHED

NHS and Social Services more prepared than ever before should temperatures rise. The dangers of heat were today highlighted by the Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson with the publication of an updated heatwave plan and new public information leaflets. This comes as early indications from the Met Office hint at a warmer than average July and August this summer. The leaflets set out the precautionary measures that everyone can take to protect their own health and the comprehensive contingency plan ensures that health professionals and those caring for vulnerable older people know what action to take
both in advance, and in the event, of a major heatwave

Although severe heatwaves are uncommon in England, the experience across Northwest Europe in 2003 is a reminder that heat can be fatal. The number of people who died directly because of the heat was 27,000 in Europe as a whole. Within England figures released earlier this year there were 2,000 excess deaths - 85% of which were amongst
people aged 75 and over.

Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said:- "This second heatwave plan, updated from last year, will help ensure that the organisations who are involved in providing health and social care services know what actions to take both now, and if a heatwave arrives. As the experience in 2003 demonstrated, it is particularly important that for those over 75, especially those who live alone or in residential homes, the necessary precautions are taken to avoid serious harm through heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Timely preventive measure can reduce excess deaths. The leaflet designed to provide the public with common sense precautions will help people to enjoy the weather whilst protecting themselves from the dangerous, and potentially fatal, effects of these temperatures."

A central aspect of the plan is the monitoring of heat related illnesses. Throughout the hot weather there will be collaboration with NHS Direct and GPs to monitor the daily rate of heat related calls and consultations taking place. This monitoring system will trigger one of four levels of alert. For each level actions have been identified for the NHS and other public bodies. Level 1 starts on 1 June to remind people of the practical steps people need to take to keep cool and to identify individuals at particular risk from extreme heat. Level 2 is triggered when for any part of the country there is an 80% chance that heatwave temperatures will be reached for 2 or more days. Level 3 is when the threshold temperatures have been reached. Level 4 is when the heatwave is so severe or prolonged that its effects extend outside health and social care, such as power or water shortages.

The public information leaflet called 'Heatwave - a guide to looking after yourself' contains practical advice such as:-

If a heatwave is forecast, try and plan your day in a way that allows you to stay out of the heat.

If you can, avoid going out in the hottest part of the day (11am to 3pm). If you must go out stay in the shade. Wear a hat and light loose fitting clothes, preferably cotton. If you will be outside for some time, take plenty of water with you.

Take cool showers or baths and splash yourself several times a day with cold water, particularly your face and the back of your neck. Eat as you normally would. Try to eat more cold food, particularly salads and fruit, which contain water.

Look after older people. They are much more prone to the effects of heat. If you have older relatives or neighbours you can help simply by checking on them if possible every day, and reminding them to drink plenty and often. They should have a mixture of drinks
including fruit juice and water. Help them to keep their house as cool as possible, drawing curtains, opening windows at night, or using a fan if necessary.