|
Issue No. 304 | 28 April 2006 |
Canaries in the Coalmine
Interview: Head On Unions: Do You Have a Moment? Industrial: Vital Signs Economics: Taxing Times Environment: It Ain�t Necessarily So History: Melbourne�s Hours Immigration: Opening the Floodgates Review: Pollie Fiction Poetry: The Cabal
Revealed: Bosses Told To Blame Howard New Front on High Court Attack Tunnel Vision a �Disgrace� Mining Vigil at Day of Mourning Canberra Confidential, Andrews on the Run
Politics Politics The Soapbox Postcard The Locker Room Obituary
Belly Battles Answer is Easy
Labor Council of NSW |
News Andrews Backs Armed Hold Ups
In comments to the Australian newspaper, Andrews described NSW's occupational health and safety laws, which allow unions to run prosecutions against employers, as �outrageous�. "In every other jurisdiction, only the relevant workers compensation authorities can prosecute for alleged breaches of occupational health and safety laws," the Workplace Relations Minister said. But Financial Sector Union Secretary Geoff Derrick said the laws allowed the union to successfully prosecute ANZ and Westpac banks for inadequate security when WorkCover had not. He said although WorkCover had the information it did not run the prosecution. "It's not as if we took their place, they vacated the field," Derrick said. "WorkCover had the opportunity to do it, they didn't. We did, we were proven correct." Derrick said since the FSU's first prosecutions in 2002, the number of armed hold-ups in banks had fallen from 100 per year, to about 40. Andrews also took aim at NSW's use of moiety - which allows the prosecutor to receive up to 50 per cent of a fine after a successful prosecution. Andrews said this "creates a perverse incentive for unions to abuse such processes and to prosecute employers for personal gain". Derrick said by Andrews' logic union members would be paying for the sins of the bosses. "Union members have to subsidise every case we run, although it is the employer who has broken the law," Derrick said. The union's first prosecutions against ANZ saw the union receive moiety of $15,000 - separate from work costs. Derrick said the money was split three ways between the non-court cost elements of running the prosecution, improving OHS consultation and to members affected by the boss's breaches. According NSW WorkCover figures, the number of workplace deaths and injuries in the state are at their lowest level since 1988.
|
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|