Page 1434 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 26 September 1989
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However, there are a number of grave worries in this agreement as well. The proposed Occupational Health and Safety Bill has taken out references to involved unions. Everyone appreciates unions will be involved in large areas in private enterprise in the Canberra workplace but there is no need for them to be mentioned as such. Indeed, when one looks at this agreement, one can see that really the only participants are the major health unions and management. Firstly, page 3 of the occupational health and safety agreement deals with employees and it says:
Consistent with unions' promotion of healthy and safe working environments, policies and procedures and health and safety training, each employee -
and it goes through a number of items, most of which appear fairly sensible, but it has to be consistent with the unions' promotion. It then deals with occupational health and safety representatives on page 5, and they are to be "members of staff elected through their unions to help in the efficient administration of OH&S matters in their workplaces". What about provision for freedom of choice? What about people who are not necessarily members of unions but want to contribute? They are ruled out. It goes on at the bottom of the page in 3.1, dealing with health and safety representatives:
Unions party to this Plan will appoint an agreed number of employees as Health and Safety Representatives, and alternate Health and Safety Representatives and these will be recognised as such by the ACT C&HS. The number appointed and their designated work areas will be agreed between management and unions and appointment will be through union-held elections.
Again, what about people who are not members of unions? They are excluded.
Mr Berry: Fair enough, too, Bill.
MR STEFANIAK: I do not think it is fair enough.
It says on page 7, in 3.1.5.6:
to participate on paid leave, in the Trade Union Training Service (TUTA) or other jointly approved health and safety courses.
Again, the emphasis is there, and I am sure you would have to be blind Freddie not to know where they will be trained. Of course they will be trained at TUTA and there is no provision or likelihood of their being trained anywhere else. Again, perhaps there is too much emphasis on union domination there. Let us go to page 9, where we see:
3.2.5 The appointment of a union representative will be determined by the unions who are
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