Issue No 84 | 16 February 2001 | |
NewsGenetic Advances Spark New Privacy Issues
Employers would have the capacity to store information about the medical histories - and even future health- of workers and their families if genetic testing of workers becomes widespread, the NSW Privacy Commissioner has warned.
Addressing the Labor Council's organising seminar this week, former Liberal Senator Chris Puplick warned that genetic testing of senior management positions was already widespread in America. While President Clinton had signed an order prohibiting the genetic testing of federal public servants, no such protections have been introduced in Australia. Puplick said that while medical records with GPs remained strictly confidential, there were no privacy protections covering employment records, meaning facts like one's propensity to contract diseases like Alzheimers in later life, could be passed from employer to employer. Balancing this was the ability of GT to screen employees in dangerous occupations from jobs that would put themselves or the community at risk. Puplick warned that the whole issue of access to employment records is an emerging field of privacy concern. "Workers need to be aware that they have fewer rights in the workplace than just about anywhere else," he said. Sexual Harassment Blast In his address, Puplick also took trade unions to task in his capacity as president of the Anti-Discrimination Board for their handling of sexual harassment claims. Puplick said that in the vast majority of cases, trade unions represented the interests of the accused rather than the complainant. He said 60 per cent of all ADB sexual harassment complaints were employment-related and in 65 per cent of these cases unions had intervened on behalf of the alleged harasser. Labor Council president Sam Moait said the treatment of sexual harassment claims was clearly an area where unions had to review.
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Interview: Life After Wartime After ten years representing the interests of the labour movement in Parliament, Jeff Shaw is back at the bar. And loving it. Legal: Why the Freeloaders Should Pay Michael Costa explains why service fees are not only fair - they are economically rational. Organising: Young Activists Bask in Union Summer Sydney students have spent three weeks of their summer holidays experiencing on-the-ground work with unions. Unions: Things Are Looking Up On The Dock After six years as a call centre worker, Marios Ellas has joined the union movement. Here's his first impressions. History: Trades Hall � The Royal Connection Republic, who needs it when we have the Trades Hall decreed by Royal Imprimatur? So tug your forelock as work commences to restore the building. International: Greetings from Hong Kong Chan Wai-Keung from the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions outlined the challenges facing Hong Kong workers. Politics: One Nation - The Old Labor Link The resurgence in One Nation in the WA election has the pundits again reaching for the tea-leaves. But are they pouring from the wrong pot? Review: Elect the Ambassador Labor frontbencher Duncan Kerr unveils his vision for a new international democracy. Satire: Man Buys Big Issue for the Articles A Melbourne businessman claims his recent purchase of the "Big Issue" was due to his interest in the magazine's editorial content.
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