The following articles were published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, June 20th, 2001. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. CPA Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "The Guardian": <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au> Subscription rates on request. ****************************** Defend Workers' Comp Unions in NSW began an indefinite statewide protest on Tuesday this week against the Carr Labor Government's WorkCover workers' compensation legislation. Unions began a blockade of Parliament House at 6am on Tuesday, requesting Members of the NSW Parliament and staff not to enter the building. Public transport workers refused to collect fares and the Police Association called on its members not to issue fines for speeding and other traffic offences. by Anna Pha Angry workers and union officials chanted "Hands off Workers' Comp" as they stood on the picket line outside Parliament. The aim of the blockade is to stop Labor MPs from taking part in a Legislative Assembly vote on amendments to the workers' compensation legislation. In particular, they are calling on 43 Labor backbenchers to honour a previous pledge to oppose the legislation until "sensible amendments" had been negotiated with the unions. Far from negotiating "sensible amendments" with the trade unions, the Carr Labor Government has reneged on previous undertakings and is trying to rush through legislation that would deny workers fundamental rights to basic common law and adequate compensation. The Bill changes the method of assessing workers' injuries, using American Medical Association assessment guidelines. The right to common law (suing the boss for negligence resulting in injury) would be denied to workers with less than 25 percent whole person impairment as a result of their injury. Under the American Guides, the 25 percent level is the equivalent to permanent brain damage with loss of memory and inability to self-care or to ever again be employed. Those with lesser impairments, even though they might never be able to return to their former employment, would be denied common law rights. In addition to its denial of basic justice, these provisions amount to outright discrimination against workers, depriving them of the rights available to every other person who may suffer similar injuries. As well as denying the majority of injured workers the right to pursue a claim in the courts, the Bill severely restricts their right to appeal against the decisions of a new Workers' Compensation Commission. When Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca first produced his Bill in February this year, unions were horrified and disgusted at its anti-worker content. There was a huge uproar in trade union and Labor Party ranks, trade union protests and marches, public transport workers refused to take fares and other actions. The Bill was then withdrawn and a secret agreement negotiated between the Government and Labor Council. This agreement, adopted on May 21, was used by the Labor Council and union leaders to calm the situation and throw cold water on opposition to the proposed changes. Under the deal, negotiations were to continue and the Government was to proceed with new amendments, but only on matters where there was agreement. Areas of disagreement were to be omitted from the Bill and reviewed by a judicial inquiry. This latest Bill, which Della Bosca only showed the union negotiating committee last Friday - without prior consultation, let alone agreement - contains many of the items that were not agreed upon. This is in flagrant breach of the agreed process and an act of utter contempt for the workers and their unions by Della Bosca and his Government. In fact, the "new" Bill is remarkably similar to the original one. The rights of workers have not been restored in the Bill. In addition, there are frightening provisions that would permit the Government to make further changes to workers' compensation provisions by regulation, without the need for legislative amendments. Further inflaming the situation, an arrogant Della Bosca last week announced that the Bill would be presented to Parliament and passed through the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday this week, leaving unions very little time to mobilise members. A meeting of Labor Council affiliates held on Monday morning (June 18), was unanimous in its opposition to the Bill. The meeting called on the Government to withdraw the Bill and allow negotiations to proceed. It also called on the ALP Parliamentary Caucus to support its withdrawal. The meeting called for its own Workers' Compensation Committee to convene and develop a campaign of industrial action. There is considerable pressure on the right-wing dominated Labor Council from affiliated unions to fight this one all the way. The stakes for workers are extremely high. The Government is attempting to cut workers' compensation insurance costs for employers by denying workers their basic rights. The Bill acts as a disincentive to employers to take workplace health and safety seriously, let alone put in place measures to prevent injuries. The Bill should be thrown out and in its place measures should be taken to address the question of making workplaces safe - in the long run it would save on costs and protect the health and safety of millions of NSW workers. ***************************************************************** -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
