3 May 2012

Government review of health and safety needs to focus on achieving strong worker voice

How to achieve a strong and effective worker voice in workplace health and safety must be a critical objective of the Government’s review of the country’s health and safety law and regulations, says the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU).

“The Government is moving in the right direction with this review initiative and the news that it will be expanding the capacity of the health and safety inspectorate,” says EPMU assistant national secretary, Ged O’Connell. “However we know that we have a serious issue when it comes to workers having real say in the day to day management of workplace health and safety.”

“The current law and regulations are very weak in terms of giving workers the ability to deal with, and challenge, workplace dangers and unsafe behaviours. Many workers feel they can’t speak out because of the fear of being intimidated and suffering repercussions from the boss,” says Mr O’Connell.

The EPMU is concerned about the persistently high rate of accidents and death at work in New Zealand and to address this this, believes the management of workplace health and safety needs to be a true partnership between workers and their unions, employers and the government as regulator.

“The greatest barrier we face at present is that most of the power to manage and change workplace health and safety culture rests with employers, says Mr O’Connell. “Many workers feel that have no power to change what happens at work and therefore are often condemned to work in unsafe situations.”

The EPMU’s involvement with the Safe Rebuild Canterbury initiative – a partnership between the union, employers and government to address health and safety around the rebuild of Christchurch - is an example of what is possible if there is a willingness to work together to achieve safe jobs, says Mr O’Connell.

He says the EPMU will be supporting the Government review of health and safety on the basis there is a genuine and authentic desire to address workplace safety through giving workers real voice.

ENDS

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