Friday 24 July 2015

Prime Minister breaks promise on changes to health & safety laws

The CTU is appalled with the report released today by the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee. It considers the Prime Minister’s promise, that our laws would take “no steps backwards”, broken.

CTU President Helen Kelly is deeply concerned about what the impact will be on workers and their families. “The Government is trying to say that their changes are minor – this is simply untrue. These changes mean that work will be less safe – that is not minor.”

“We are especially concerned that the Government has stripped away so much of workers’ rights to take an effective role in their own health and safety. The health and safety issues and risks in small firms are at least as great as in any other business – disenfranchising their workers is simply the result of the Government listening to those small businesses that don't want to prioritise safety for their workers rather than the evidence that this is where most accidents occur. In larger businesses the Government has allowed employers to choose which workers have representation. That encourages employers with poor practices to resist change.”

“This is a major neglect of duty to present the law with these changes and a further betrayal of those that died at Pike River.” Kelly said.

ENDS

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