Page 2001 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 15 May 2013
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We also have the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry. There is no mention of workplace safety on their web page. They have lots of courses coming up for employers and their staff—sadly, none on workplace safety. It is rather upsetting for me to see that an employer organisation can simply not think about workplace safety. It concerns me to think what their thought process is on this important topic and if employees are possibly seen merely as just numbers they believe can be replaced.
Let us have a look at the other side of the coin—the labour movement. There is the peak body, the ACTU. Their front page says that the theme for International Workers Memorial Day was that unions make work safer. Let me quote their press release:
A new national memorial to Australians who have died at or because of work will be a lasting reminder of the ongoing battle to make our workplaces safer … There were 374 Australians killed in traumatic workplace incidents in 2010-11 (the most recent year that statistics are available) but it is estimated the death rate when work-related diseases are added is well over ten times that.
They have also created a safe work website at www.safeatwork.org.au. This website lists rights and obligations of both employers and employees, upcoming courses, and resources including those in OH&S training, OH&S for managers, supervisors, and refresher courses.
Then there is Unions ACT. They have their own RTO—Workwatch Occupational Health and Safety. Workwatch is a provider of training for workplace representatives. Workwatch also provides information regarding the health and safety requirements existing in the ACT with a wide range of workplace health and safety courses.
We can look at the CFMEU’s front page. Their first headline: “No more deaths in the workplace”. There are also quotes on the front page from people affected by workplace tragedy. One is, “I didn't want to see another wife get that phone call.” Another quote: “At the end of the day, a safe job is a happy job; a clean job is a happy job.” The CFMEU list several training schools across the country. All of them have OH&S training, including high risk work training.
There is also the Transport Workers Union. The website refers to truck drivers and road safety, and an article states:
Plans announced by the Coalition to review the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal in the event of winning September’s Federal election ignore all of the evidence collected over twenty years showing a direct relationship between pay and conditions for truck drivers and road safety, said Tony Sheldon, National Secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union.
So, as you can see, Madam Deputy Speaker, there appears to be quite a divergence in regard to safety in the workplace from employer groups and employee groups.
I will quote from the Getting home safely report:
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