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Don't risk 2nd rate safety

A new campaign to deliver the highest standards for harmonised OH & S laws.

There are 9 different OH&S laws in Australia. State and Federal governments have agreed to harmonise OH$S laws and move to a simpler system.

Over the years, Employer Associations have been lobbying governments for a simpler system. Under the Howard Liberal/National Government, laws were introduced to allw employers to allow employers to move from state OH&S systems to a federal system with less rights for workers and less workers compensation benefits for injured workers.

The Howard Government tried to remove the ability of Unions to come on site and help workers to raise and investigate genuine safety concerns.

Unions have supported harmonisation, not for the same reasons as employers to reduce workers rights to the worst OH&S Law in Australia, but in fact to use the harmonisation agenda to increase the rights of all workers to the best OH&S law operating in Australia as the basis of any national OH&S Model law.

We believe workers have;

• the right to a safe and healthy working environment
• a right to know what hazards they are exposed to
• a right to refuse unsafe work
• a right to be involved in and negotiate how hazards are identified, assessed, eliminated or controlled monitored and reviewed at work
• a right to act to protect and advance their health and safety at work including determining who represents them and participate in activities that will increase their rights at work in relation to OH & S

• workers will be at greater risk of harm in the workplace
• workers will be disadvantaged by the new laws

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