24/03/2008

News Item

Winery death sparks call for WorkCover 'teeth'

A union has attacked WorkCover for 'pussyfooting' around safety issues after the death of a 24-year-old worker at Toorak Winery near Leeton more than a week ago.

Harry Goring, the south-west organiser for the Australian Workers Union, says he has often seen winery workers threatened with losing their jobs when they raise safety concerns.

He says he does not have much faith in a review of safety standards in the wine industry.

Mr Goring says WorkCover has the power to enforce safety, but the State Government may not have equipped it with the finances or staff numbers to be more forceful.

"As a union official and as a worker and as an acquaintance of a number of people involved at Toorak, it's just soul destroying and WorkCover has to be looked at again," he said.

"The Government has to come out and give WorkCover their teeth again."

source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/24/2197414.htm