Hereford hairdresser's snip at EU bid to ban high heels in salons (From Hereford Times)

Hereford hairdresser's snip at EU bid to ban high heels in salons

10:14am Thursday 26th April 2012 in Hereford City By Bill Tanner

IGGY Farruggia is ready to cut the EU down to size if Brussels’ bureaucrats stop staff at his Hereford salon from looking their best.

Nor is Iggy going to have Strasbourg saying what his salon should look like. Hair Junction is his and he’ll say what goes where.

The proposed EU regulations wants to put hairdressers into “non-slip”

shoes, stop them wearing “unhygienic” jewellery and wants them to trim down their time at the chair to prevent “emotional collapses”.

And it doesn’t stop with staff. As pitched, the new rules would see salons set out to “ergonomic” patterns.

Herefordshire UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass has already got his hair off at proposals the National Hairdressers’ Federation claims could cost the industry as much as £3 million a year in the UK alone.

“Salon staff need to look smart and high heels may be part of their right to expression and self esteem – a basic human right,”

says Mike.

“Health and safety in the workplace is important but it should be our Government, the employers and their employees making rational policy and law.“ Iggy’s pop at the EU comes straight from the frontline.

He says the proposals strike at the very idea of what salons are for, with each reflecting its own image in the look of stylists and layout.

“You wouldn’t catch me in a pair of heels, but I won’t stop my staff wearing them, we are at the forefront of fashion and it is important we dress to represent this,” said Iggy.

“The EU either has far too much time on its hands, or someone’s had a bad hairdo from a stylist in very offensive stilettos.”