Health and Safety news

ACTU responds to Govt plan to increase Comcare death benefits 04.05.09 The ACTU has commented on the Federal Government's announcement on Comcare death benefits. ACTU Assistant Secretary Geoff Fary said: “The ACTU welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to increase death benefits for workers...

Workers’ Memorial Day 2009 07.04.09 Workers’ Memorial Day remembers all those killed or injured as a result of their work, and marked by ceremonies on or around 28 April. Unions, workers and their families and friends gather to remember the men, women and children who were killed...

ACTU OHS conference raises concerns about harmonisation recommendations 24.02.09 Thousands of Australian workers across some of the nation’s most hazardous industries could lose important occupational health and safety protections if recommendations just released are adopted by all governments. People attending a...

Time for the Federal Government to get serious about asbestos and enforce a full ban 21.01.09 Unions are calling on the Rudd Government to end asbestos exemptions for the Australian Defence Organisation and to hold a national inquiry into asbestos and asbestos-related disease. The opening today by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of the Bernie...

4th Australian Workers' Compensation Summit 2008 19.12.08 Presented by Jarrod Moran, Workers' Compensation Officer Australian Council of Trade Unions Next week will bring up 12 months since the Rudd government was sworn in. In that time the government has put a moratorium on new...

Safe Work Bill changes are needed to strengthen 04.12.08 All politicians should accept the Senate amendments to the Safe Work Bill and allow a swift passage for the legislation, says the ACTU. The Safe Work Bill 2008 will create a new national workplace health and safety body to oversee major...

ACTU OHS Harmonisation Brochure 13.10.08

Minister's response to the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos in the Rotterdam Convention 06.10.08 The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Mr Geoff Fary Assistant Secretary Level 6, 365 Queen St Melbourne VIC 300 Dear Mr Fary Thank you for your letter of 11 August 2008 concerning...

Work Death Prompt Bid for Uniform Safety Laws 22.09.08 IT WAS news no young wife should hear: her 28-year-old husband, father to their two young children, had been killed at work. On October 24, 2004, Glen Viegas died after cutting through a live wire at a Central Coast Westfield shopping center....

The Highest Standards for Harmonised OHS Law 25.07.08 Submission by the Australian Council of Trade Unions for the National Review into Model Occupational Health and Safety Laws has been received by the Occupational Health and Safety Review Secretariat. Update 16.10.08 Added Supplementary...

MEDIA RELEASE: Deaths of Workers Underline Need for Stronger Health & Safety Laws 17.07.08 Australia’s poor record on workplace death and injury, including the death of two construction workers on the Gold Coast last month underlines the need for the highest possible national workplace health and safety standards, ACTU Assistant...

MEDIA RELEASE: COMMUNIQUE of the Australian Union Movement 15.07.08 Communiqué from the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Labour Councils of Qld, NSW, ACT, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory The support and endorsement by the Australian Union Movement...

International Workers Memorial Day - Monday 28 April 2008 14.04.08 VIC "Good Occupational Health for all Workers" - 2008 Global Theme Gather from 10:20am, at the Memorial Rock, Lygon Street, Victoria Trades Hall Council (VTHC). Speakers include: Brian Boyd, VTHC Sharan...

Comcare Review - Submission of the Australian Council of Trade Unions 03.03.08

ACTU and unions pay tribute to Bernie Banton 27.11.07 The whole of the Australian union movement will be deeply saddened by the news that asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton has passed away said ACTU President Sharan Burrow and ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence. On behalf of Australian unions we would...