
Issue No 53		12 May 2000

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Health

Workers Health Centre Comes of Age

By Peggy Trompf - Co-ordinator

In 2001, the Workers Health Centre will celebrate its 25th anniversary, making it the longest running independent trade union based health and safety service in the country.

Three years ago, we held a dinner dance to celebrate the Centre's 21s. Dr. Ben Bartlett, a leading activist around health issues at the time, and a founder of the Centre, attended as a guest speaker, and the historical comments are drawn from his speech.

The Centre was set up in the 70's, at the time of the Whitlam Labor Government's election. The Government had introduced major reforms in the health sector such as Medibank and community health programs. However, community groups had already lead the way, with the establishment of the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service in 1971, and later, the Leichhardt and Liverpool Women's Health Centres, all independently from Government.

About the same time, a Health Workers Collective consisting of a group of hospital based workers - nurses, doctors, maintenance staff, etc. was set up. Through its newsletter, it critiqued the health care system, and in the process recognised the nature and extent of workplace hazards. It was decided that the models of the Aboriginal Medical Services and the Women's Health Services should be used to establish a Workers Health Centre. A small steering group , which included Ben Bartlett, was set up and produced a leaflet about worker's health issues, the need for a Centre to assist injured and sick workers, and to work with them in tackling workplace hazards. Trade Union officials regardless of political leanings were approached for support, as was the Doctors Reform Society. Those unions and workplaces that had rank and file organisation proved the most valuable supporters, in Bartlett's view.

The steering group contacted worker oriented health and safety groups in the United States, Canada and Britain and links were made with Filipino groups. These groups provided easy to understand information on workplace hazards. From this the beginning of an Occupational Health and Safety library was developed.

In early 1977, premises were found in Lidcombe, a suburb in the industrial west of Sydney. Various people helped to get the place in order. They included members of shop committees from Tooheys Brewery, the Chullora Railway Workshops, and the Homebush Abattoirs. It wasn't long before the Centre opened and as Bartlett put it "we initially saw anybody who was game enough to walk through the doors." Some local GP's complained that the Centre was undermining their practices because it advertised itself as a Medibank bulk billing service. " I guess it didn't help that there was a poster in the window asserting "Housewives are workers too" alongside the "we Bulk Bill' sign," said Bartlett.

From the beginning, Non English Speaking peoples were a significant part of the Centres clientele, as they still are. The first Government grant received by the Centre was from the Ethnic Affairs Office in the Premiers Department. Relationships were developed with ethnic community groups such as FILEF and the Turkish Workers League. Ranges of leaflets about workplace hazards were produced in a number of languages.

The Centre disseminated a great variety of information, which had not been made available to workers before. Work Hazards magazine was most important in this respect. It was involved with TUTA schools, as well as Union training schools through unions such as the AMWU and FEDFA. The Centre was involved in the development and delivery of the first national Trade Union Training School specifically on health and safety at the Clyde Cameron College in Albury-Wodonga.

Bartlett believes that one of the reasons for the success of the Centre was that it wasn't set up just as a clinic. From the beginning resources were allocated to provide information to workers, and more importantly to groups of workers in workplaces. Through these relationships the Centre became heavily involved with many workplace health and safety issues such as asbestos exposure at the Barraba & Baryulgil Mines, Garden Island Naval Dockyards, power stations, railway workshops, and many other workplaces. The Centre worked quite closely with the AMWU, FEDFA, BLF, Teachers Federation and other unions on these issues.

It was involved in the development of new noise regulations, with the concerns of abattoir workers about brucellosis and Q Fever, the problems of overuse injuries. The Centre was active around the problems of lead exposure at places like Chloride Batteries, and Garden Island, as well as hazards experienced by teachers including asbestos in schools, laboratory hazards and general stress.

The Centre helped shape a worker's health movement that took on national significance. Although it was not planned, worker's health organisations of one sort or another developed in Brisbane, Newcastle, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle. For a while there was even a national coalition formed.

Today, the Centre operates further west, at Granville. It continues to abide by the principles and practices laid down nearly 25 years ago, insofar as commitment to the health and safety of workers is concerned. It is still overseen by a trade union based Board of Directors, numbering 11 at present including a Labor Council representative. It has over 18 major unions as affiliates. It provides a full range of services to workers, including an occupational medical specialist, as well as occupational physician, audiology to test for noise induced hearing loss, workplace safety audits, information, research, WorkCover accredited rehabilitation services. It advocates on behalf of workers in any matters of health and safety, including workers compensation. We are looking forward to our 25th celebrations and will be inviting all to join us. With the continued support of trade unions and their members, we hope to be around for the next 25 years.

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Issue 53 contents

Interview: The Fruitful Shaw
After ten years in Parliament, NSW Industrial Relations Minister Jeff Shaw looks at some mountains still to be climbed.

Politics: Budget in Reply
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley replies to the Federal budget and paints Labor's alternative vision for the future.

Economics: Petition to Move a Mountain
A child born in Zambia or Tanzania or Bolivia owes more to international creditors than she or he will ever earn in a lifetime.

International: Solidarity in a Cold Climate
After an overnight bargaining marathon, Norway's unions have secured most of their main demands and have now ended their nationwide strike.

Health: Workers Health Centre Comes of Age
In 2001, the Workers Health Centre will celebrate its 25th anniversary, making it the longest running independent trade union based health and safety service in the country.

History: A Tribute to the Fallen
A Canadian tractor operator is seeking help to produce a book on monuments to people killed in the workplace.

Satire: Ralph Web Ring Busted
Following the dismissal of 27 Telstra employees last week for downloading hardcore pornography on their work computers, Ralph magazine sacked five employees yesterday for downloading positive images of women.

Review: Waterfront - Through the Reporters' Eyes
Fairfax journalists Helen Trinca and Anne Davies have skillfully transformed the waterfront war into the sort of thriller that any self-respecting Hollywood mogul would reject for being too wild to be true.

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» Unionists take to Streets for May Day 2000

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» Employers Fail to Defy History

» Indonesian Labor Educator Reports to Local Unions

» Big Drum-Up This Wednesday