ACC surplus is at the expense of medical treatment for injured workers

“ACC should spend some of its $240 million surplus on compliance with international labour conventions it is currently in breach of,” Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

Ross Wilson, a former Deputy Chairperson of ACC, said that International Labour Convention 17 requires New Zealand to ensure that all workers injured in work accidents are provided with all necessary treatment at no cost to the injured worker.

“We have a situation in New Zealand today where injured workers are meeting a proportion of their treatment costs to the tune of up to $100 million every year. This is a direct subsidy from injured workers to employers,” Ross Wilson said.

“Successive New Zealand Governments have acknowledged to the International Labour Organisation that we are in breach of these international law requirements, and have undertaken to remedy the breach.

“The CTU will be asking Government to ensure that steps are taken to remedy this injustice as a matter of priority”.

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