Press Release
ACTU Media Release - Workplace fatalities make national focus on OH&S a priority
Thursday January 31, 2008
Urgent action is needed to prevent workplace deaths, the ACTU said today (Thursday January 31, 2008).
A report from the Australian Safety Compensation Council reported today shows 162 people died in workplaces in the year July 2006 to June 2007, and increase from 157 the previous year.
ACTU President, Sharan Burrow, said:
“The rise in workplace deaths is totally unacceptable and requires urgent action. Every Australian must feel confident they can go to work and come home safe and sound at the end of the day.
“This report shows that too many Australian families are losing loved ones because of dangerous and unsafe workplaces.
“There is no doubt the Howard Government’s WorkChoices laws made our workplaces less safe.
"The Howard Government limited unions’ ability to enter workplaces, making it difficult for unions to help protect workers’ rights and check the safety of their workplaces.
“The Liberal’s IR laws also took away protections from being sacked unfairly, making it more difficult for workers to complain about health and safety issues.
"The IR laws gave employers the power to get rid of OH&S representatives and to dismiss workers who spoke out in the workplace.
“The ACTU calls on State and Federal Governments to take action to reduce the number of workplace deaths by making the issue of occupational health and safety a priority, together with the development of a national IR system, at the meeting of State and Federal IR Ministers tomorrow.
“We urge the Government to ensure workers can meet union representatives in their workplace and that OH&S representatives are better able to fix health and safety problems,” Burrow said.
Last modified 2008-02-04 10:00 AM
