   |
||
| Issue No 59 |  |
23 June 2000 |
|
|
|
Trades HallTeach Safe says YouthSafe
Unions and the government have produced a new kit that aims to empowering young students who are in or joining the workforce to understand their rights about workplace safety.
The NSW Attorney General and Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon Jeff Shaw, yesterday launched a workplace safety resource kit for high schools which was produced by the Labor Council's YouthSafe Committee. The workplace injury statistics are alarming. According to the National OHS Commission two people die at work everyday in Australia. The Commission also found that a large proportion of these workers are young or inexperienced. In 1997/98 a total of 181 people died at work and 22 of those were less than 25 years old. A total of 56,804 workers suffered illness and injury and approximately 10,000 of those were under 25. Young people enter the workforce as young as 14 years of age and work in the service industries such as fast food and retail. However many are much younger and may work in a family business or on a farm. The most dangerous industries are rural, construction, manufacturing retail hospitality and business services. The YouthSafe Committee was established by young individuals in unions who were concerned and wanted to do something about the appalling statistics. The Committee was officially launched by the Premier and one of its major aims was to develop an information package to help young workers be aware of dangers in the workplace. The committee produced the kit after conducting surveys and focus groups with teachers and students and this confirmed that young workers are extremely vulnerable because of their lack of awareness, training and they are easily intimidated and won't speak up. Lois Anderson, Teachers Federation Delegate, who teaches hospitality and tourism at Mclean High School said that the simplicity of the kit is its strength and as a classroom teacher this issue is very difficult to make it real for students. Kids believe that they are immortal and the reality of the photograph of the worker who has lost his hand will show that it can happen to anyone at any time and will drive home the message about needing to consider safety in every thing you do at work. Kristie Loveridge, student from Matraville High, who attended the launch said: "The kit is great. It provides teachers with good tools to inform students about workplace safety issues, and at the same time gives students information that is easily understood and also the contact points if they have an issue about safety. Marg Holdman, teacher at Matraville High, who also attended the launch said: "I was involved in the pilot and was pleased with the end result. The kit provides a forum for teachers and students who are working part-time to discuss workplace safety and what to do about issues." She also said that the kit is long overdue and will be used extensively by teachers. Everyone who attended the launch , and in particular the High Schools, were very impressed with the resource kit and congratulated the Labor Council's YouthSafe Committee and WorkCover on a great achievement. The Teachers Federation, who were also represented at the launch and who participated in the development of the kit, have asked Labor Council to provide one to all of their delegates in high schools. If you would like more information about the YouthSafe kit, or a copy of it, please contact Mary Yaager on (02) 9264 1691.
|
   Interview: Holding the LineDiwan Shankar, Assistant National Secretary of the Fiji TUC, is in Australia to consolidate support for his members and plead for ongoing bans. Technology: D-Day for VC?NSW Labor Council secretary Michael Costa explains the motivations behind the new Get on Board computer-internet venture. Legal: Knock, Knock - Who's There?When the nine year old son of CFMEU construction division state secretary Andrew Ferguson recently responded to a Saturday door knock, it was neither a friend nor a Jehovah's Witness. Unions: Are You a Good Listener ?Mark Hearn goes inside the Energy Australia call centre to find a workplace where there is a code for evrything - even trips to the toilet. International: Union Observers Barred from Zimbabwe PollFive observers from the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and 19 other South Africans aligned to Zimbabwe's Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice are among 233 observers barred by the Zimbabwean government from monitoring the parliamentary elections. History: Community, Class, and Comparison Despite its occasional romantic tendencies, new labour scholarship is mapping collective action within working class communities. Satire: Rural Poor Return to LaborThrilled by the great new branding, the new Country Labor party has caused scenes of great rejoicing in the country. Review: The Wicked Webs We WeaveLaborNet web-meastro Paul Howes trawls the web for some hot sites for all you political junkies.
Notice Board View entire latest issue
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
![[ Home ]](/images/nv_home.gif){kind=small} ![[ Notice Board ]](/images/nv_board.gif){kind=small} ![[ Search ]](/images/nv_search.gif){kind=small} ![[ Previous Issues ]](/images/nv_previous.gif){kind=small} ![[ Latest Issue ]](/images/nv_latest.gif){kind=small} |
|
|
|
|
© 1999-2000 Labor Council of NSW LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/59/b_tradeunion_safety.htmlLast Modified: 15 Nov 2005 [ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ] LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW |
|
![[Workers Online]](/images/logo_small.gif){kind=logo}
![[Social Change Online]](/images/sco_logo.gif){kind=logo}