Deaths of workers underline need for stronger health & safety laws

17 July 2008 

Australia’s poor record on workplace death and injury, including the death of two construction workers on the Gold Coast last month underlines the need for the highest possible national workplace health and safety standards, ACTU Assistant Secretary Geoff Fary said today.

A national meeting of unions in Melbourne this week has resolved to push strongly for new national laws that impose a duty of care on all employers and give unions the capacity to initiate prosecutions over breaches of workplace safety.

The ACTU and all State and Territory Trades and Labour Councils have jointly ratified a Communiqué in response to the Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) move to reform and harmonise Australia’s workplace health and safety laws.

Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, announced the National Review into Model Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Laws in April 2008.

Unions reject the view that any particular State laws should be the model for the new system, calling instead for the best possible laws drawn from all States and Territories.

ACTU Assistant Secretary Geoff Fary said:

“This is an important opportunity for workers to get better health and safety protections. For the children and families of injured workers, we have to do better and get these new laws right.

“All of the States and Territories have some good features, but no one jurisdiction has the best. 

“Instead of aiming for a less than optimal outcome, we should make sure we get the highest possible standards.

“In the 21st Century every Australian family has the right to expect their loved ones will go to work and to come home safely.

“Employers should acknowledge they will gain significant benefits and a reduction in red tape from having common, harmonised regulations throughout the Commonwealth.

“The harmonisation process should not be used by employers to cut their costs or to reduce their obligation to ensure all workplaces are healthy and safe,” said Mr Fary.