Unions welcome review of Comcare workers’ compensation scheme

Australian Unions welcome today’s release of the independent review of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act) and urge the Albanese Government to act on the report’s recommendations.

The SRC Act underpins the Comcare workers’ compensation scheme, which has not undergone major reform since it began in 1988. More than 470,000 workers are covered, including employees of the Commonwealth Government, the ACT Government, and major private companies.

This comprehensive review, which considered the views of workers, unions and employers, sets a clear roadmap to modernise the scheme, ensuring it reflects the realities of contemporary work, improves governance and usability, and aligns entitlements with best practice and social expectations.

The current scheme still limits workers’ rights to pursue common law claims, offers lower compensation for permanent injuries than other jurisdictions, and ranks among the worst nationally for managing claims.

The ACTU’s submission to the review called for changes to ensure injured workers can access early treatment without financial stress, for employers to meet stronger obligations to provide safe return-to-work plans, and for disputes to be resolved faster.

Unions also called for higher lump sum payments for death or serious injury, and the removal of barriers that prevent workers from seeking common law claims when employer negligence resulted in injury.

Quotes attributable to ACTU Assistant Secretary, Liam O’Brien:

“Workers’ compensation should be about supporting people when they need it most. It is unacceptable for injured workers to struggle to access basic support while recovering.

“Unions consistently hear from injured workers across Australia about how the current Comcare scheme is failing them and their loved ones.

“Nearly half a million workers are covered by Comcare, but the scheme hasn’t undergone major reform in nearly 40 years. The way Australians work and the injuries they face have changed dramatically since then, so unions welcome the Albanese Government for undertaking an independent review of this scheme.

“The review’s recommendations are an important step towards providing a scheme that supports fair, efficient and equitable access to comprehensive workers’ compensation.

“The review’s report confirmed that the current Comcare scheme belongs to another era. We urge the Government to now build on their leadership in this space and implement the report’s recommendations to provide better outcomes for injured workers.”