13/01/2008

News Item

AWAs undermine workplace safety: AWU

Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) continue to undermine safety in the workplace, a mining union says.

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) said many agreements restrict the rights of its Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) staff to represent mine workers.

AWU assistant secretary Ben Swan said this was highlighted by the death of a 23-year-old man in a workplace accident at a Pilbara mine site in Western Australia last week.

"We are particularly angry that AWAs are being used as an artificial way to restrict the genuine concerns of miners to have an effective OHS voice in their workplace," Mr Swan said in a statement.

"Unfortunately this is just another tragedy highlighting the urgent need to rectify the Work Choice laws which undermine decent Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards in our workplaces."

source: http://news.theage.com.au/awas-undermine-workplace-safety-awu/20080113-1lq2.html