Union News

Mark Lennon, Secretary of Unions NSW, has called for a calm examination of yesterday’s announcement from NSW Premier Kristina Keneally about workplace safety reform in the wake of sensationalist criticism.

“Nothing is done to advance workplace safety when the Federal Government and employer groups run around like Chicken Little claiming the sky is falling,” Mr Lennon said.

“People shouldn’t be playing games with workplace safety, but that’s exactly what business groups are trying to do.”

Unions completely support the harmonisation of workplace safety laws, however there is room for NSW to keep two additional provisions in the interest of the safety or working people.

“This isn’t about stopping workplace safety harmonisation, it’s about bolstering it to ensure NSW has the safest possible workplaces,” Mr Lennon said.

“But OHS harmonisation should be a rising tide that lifts all boats.

“Unions NSW supports OHS reform and the vast majority of the new legislation, we simply want to retain two additional provisions to ensure NSW working people aren’t left worse off.”

Between 2003 and 2006, after the failure of the state regulator to prosecute, the Finance Sector Union took legal action against the big four banks for not doing everything practical to protect bank tellers from armed hold-ups.

The union was successful and banks were forced to upgrade their safety measures. Since then armed holdups have reduced in number from 180 in 1998 to just 4 so far in 2010.

“The NSW Government has said to the Prime Minister they want to talk about improving workplace safety,” Mr Lennon said.

“I hope that in the coming days, rather than talking tough, the Prime Minister will sit down with the State Government and work constructively to achieve the best outcome for working people in NSW.”