
Issue No 108		24 August 2001

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

News

Unions Warn of More Deaths in Construction

By Mary Yaager

Exempting small employers from safety regulations in the construction industry for two years could lead to more deaths in the industry the CFMEU has warned

Andrew Ferguson Secretary of the Construction Forestry, Mining and Energy union said " there has been one death a week in the industry lately just last week a construction worker was crushed to death in a mobile cement machine and the week before that a grader backed over a worker killing him instantly"

'This is just unacceptable and while I congratulate the Government on the introduction of these new workplace safety laws. I am concerned about the transitional arrangements for small employers who will just sit on their hands for two years while the death and injury rate soars," Andrew went on to say.

According to Andrew the majority of employers in the Construction Industry are small employers and they are amongst the worst in terms of providing a safe workplace in fact this is where the majority of deaths occur.

The new workplace safety laws will commence on the 1st of September 2001 and will affect the majority of employers in the State

The Minister John Della Bosca said "that in the case of small business (fewer than 20), special provisions have been made to allow them to adjust with the new risk management provisions.",

The CFMEU and unions from other high-risk industries will be calling on the Government not to allow an exemption to apply for these employers.

Despite these concerns, the unions welcome these new laws which are long overdue.

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 108 contents

Interview: The Man from Manusafe
Manusafe chief Andrew Whiley explains why employers have nothing to fear from the entitlements trust fund.

E-Change: 2.4 The Skeptic’s Response
In this round-table discussion, Noel Hester leads the charge against the argument that globalisation and change are inevitable.

Politics: No Hand Idle
Whitlam Institute director Peter Botsman finds much to agree with in John Howard's social coalition for welfare delivery.

Unions: Slavery and Struggle
A battle with all the elements of the infamous waterfront dispute is being played out in Charleston, South Carolina:

International: Postcard from Santiago
The CFMEU's Phil Davey meets up with Communist Party cadres in Chile who led the underground resistance to Pinochet.

History: Race and Australian Labour.
Australian unionists have long been questioning notions of a “White Australia”, even before the colonies united with it as the central feature.

Economics: Global Regulation
Public sector unions from around the globe are taking the first steps to work internationally against the deregulation agenda.

Satire: Niche Identified in Left-Wing Publications Market
A marxist-feminist activist has discovered a gaping hole in the lucrative left-wing publications market.

Review: The Fight for Equal Pay
In this extract from her new book, Zelda D'Aprano looks at the contribution Kath Williams made to the struggle for equality.

» Entitlements Just Tip of the Iceberg

» State-Wide Push for Entitlement Protection

» Support Builds for Industrial Manslaughter Laws

» Organiser Assaulted – Police Called In

» Young Casuals Not Paid Overtime

» Commonwealth Hit With Criminal Conviction

» Back Door Bob Does Wollongong

» ABC IR Memo Draws More Fire

» Unions Warn of More Deaths in Construction

» Big Brother Hits Rail Workers

» Libs Dodge Public Education Forum

» Westfield Squeezes The Extra Dollar

» MP's Staffers Fume Over Pay Deal

» Mat Leave Win for Country Energy

» No Wonder Wonderland Workers Unhappy

» Qld's First Major Review of Awards

» Unions Buck Online Ambush

» Bras Burned for Burma

» Two Capps To Cancel Debt

» Australians Work Too Much, Too Long

» Activists Notebook