Issue No 51 | 28 April 2000 | |
NewsPrayer for the Fallen Marks International Day
The Carr Government has promised to beef up workplace inspections in NSW as workers took a minute to remember colleagues who had died or been injured in the workplace.
Addressing a prayer service in Sydney to mark the International Day of Mourning for Deaths in the Workplace, NSW Industrial relations Minister Jeff Shaw said 25 new WorkCover inspectors would be appointed. Shaw says this will bring the state's workplace safety inspectorate to 301, the largest in Australia and almost double the number when the Carr Government came to power in 1995. "We are increasing the size of the inspectorate so that there is a physical presence to advise those in the workplace and where necessary to enforce work safety laws," Shaw says. More than one million workers worldwide die from work-related injury or illness each year, according to the International Confederation of Trade Unions which coordinated global activities for the day The service, also heard from Paralympian Heath Francis who lost his had in a farm ing accident. "One moment is all it takes to change your life forever," Heath, who will compete in paralympics as a sprinter, said. CFMEU workers on St Mary's Cathedral unfurled a banner marking the day as workers around the state took time to reflect on the scrouge of workplace accidents. Father Robinson recited the following prayer, especially written for the day by Rev Ian Lawton: A Prayer for the Fallen We remember those we have lost with great fondness. They gave much to the world; as individuals, family members, friends and work colleagues. We remember their families in their enormous sadness. For those who have died at work building a better place for the rest of us. Those who died while constructing our buildings and expressways, hospitals and schools. For those who have died young and innocent, victims of avoidable accidents May we learn from this loss, honour the memory of those lost And work towards a safer work place for all people Where the rights and dignity of all workers are upheld above all else
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Interview: Wrestling With Reith CPSU national secretary Wendy Caird has faced the full force of Peter Reith's attack on the federal public sector. The good news is she's still fighting. Unions: The Organiser As the nature of working life changes fundamentally, union organisers like Sally are taking up the challenge and changing too. Safety: Remembering the Fallen NSW Industrial Relations Minister Jeff Shaw's keynote address to mark the International Day of Mourning for Deaths in the Workplace. History: May Day Connections May Day as a modern working class celebration and commemoration began from the 1886 events in Chicago where workers were demonstrating for an eight hour day. But the day already had special significance for working people before then. Women: Swelling the Ranks Jenny Wright wears the honour of being the nation's first pregnant wharfie modestly. But it's not all clear sailing for this trailblazer. International: Dawn Raid to Arrest Korean Union Leaders Riot police have broken into the office of the Daewoo Motors Workers Union in Pupyung, near Seoul, and taken union leaders into custody for the "crime" of leading a militant struggle to save the jobs of Korean auto workers. Satire: Angry Star City Staff Strike it Unlucky Gamblers panicked when they discovered they were locked out of the Casino when 1800 workers walked out. Review: The World of Wobbly Window Cleaners A new book 'Reshaping the Labour Market' shines the spotlight on the impact of labour market deregulation.
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