NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has conceded that the reformed WorkCover scheme is messy because the amended version excludes firefighters and paramedics, coalminers and…priests…? But perhaps more importantly, Greens MP David Shoebridge said the firefighters’ strike should act as an inspiration to other workers who should also have been exempted. If you stand up to this government, if you stand up united, you can get your victories.
WorkCover NSW changes are messy: O’Farrell
The state government’s changes to workers’ compensation passed through the upper house of parliament shortly after 2am (AEST) on Friday, following the first general strike by firefighters since 1956.
The coalition used its numbers in the lower house less than an hour later to rubber-stamp the amendments made in the Legislative Council.
But Mr O’Farrell is disappointed that conservative crossbench MPs in the upper house voted for a Greens amendment to have firefighters and paramedics exempted from having their benefits and medical expenses capped.
“That’s a mess that’s been created by an amendment passed by the Greens, Labor, Christian Democrats and Shooters last night,” he told ABC Television on Friday.
“The question now is the Labor Party, the Greens, the Shooters, the Christian Democrats having exempted paramedics and firefighters, what do they say to nurses?”
The government had initially proposed to have only police excluded as part of a plan to trim WorkCover’s $4.1 billion deficit.
The amendments in the upper house emerged after about 800 firefighters in Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast walked off the job in protest on Thursday.
Unions claimed victory on Friday for firefighters, saying they would not have won exemptions if they hadn’t taken the extreme action of staging their first general strike in 56 years.
“Their strike really sharpened the focus of the parliamentarians, and that’s why the exemption was achieved,” Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon told reporters in Sydney.
“(It was) one of the most remarkable protests outside Parliament House in my time as a union official.”
Fire Brigade Employees’ Union secretary Jim Casey said the action was “tragic” but effective.
“It’s quite clear that the action we took played a significant role,” he said, adding that the union would continue opposing the WorkCover reforms.
Opposition Leader John Robertson welcomed the exemptions but said all workers should have been treated the same.
“There are dangerous jobs and what Barry O’Farrell has done is set up two standards of workers.”
Greens MP David Shoebridge said the firefighters’ strike should act as an inspiration to other workers who should also have been exempted.
“Well, the record’s in – if you stand up to this government, if you stand up united, you can get your victories,” Mr Shoebridge said.
The upper house also agreed to an amendment from Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile for workers to be covered for journey claims.
Mr O’Farrell said that under the South Australian model agreed to by the government following negotiations with crossbench MPs, work-related injuries suffered during travel to or from work would be covered.
“A priest … on a road at night who comes across an accident scene who’s delivering the last rites, who’s then hit by a truck that goes past would be covered,” he told ABC television.
[Source: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/workcover-changes-are-messy-ofarrell-20120622-20rg7.html]
Shortlink: http://aworkcovervictimsdiary.com/?p=10179
Yes there’s a point in covering priests. You never know when your confronted by an act of God….. Hmmm lightning bolt, too much sacrificial wine, voice on the road to Damascus or [insert favourite NSW town here], then becoming a double fatality by being hit by a Mac truck. (What’s the odds) On a serious note. Nurses in some states work up to 12 hour day and night shifts. Not just sitting around a nurses station all night but hands on patient care. Often highly dependant patients. Understaffed. Running flat out all shift. The fatigue, trauma and stresses can be enormous..Night staff who work 4 nights consecutively . (Unstaffed by the budget cuts to hospitals) and rotating rosters. Added to the stress some nurses still do the dreaded late and early shift where they end a shift at 11 pm and start again at 7 am. If the nurse travels some distance to and from work. Their sleeping time is greatly reduced. There is now a high chance of sleep deprivation, coupled with fatigue. Nurses are at a high risk of an accident to and from their employment. The priest who is giving the sacrificial rights probably was hit by the fatigued nurse. What’s the chance?
No single occupation is any more important then the next. NSW Workcover recipients should be represented as a whole and stand united to stop these barbaric laws! This is an attack of human rights. These Workcover recipients have suffered enough, medically, emotionally and financially. I can’t believe such a bill has been passed. What can we do to change this? All NSW Workers need to stand together and fight to stop this. Any ideas? How do we strike when we are not even employed any more and can not get employment because of our injuries? Maybe the new bill should include that all companies re-instate their injured workers and find suitable employment for them!!
Here’s what we need to do: We need to get in touch with our local member for State Parliament (by email, phone, or in person by appointment) and let them know, in no uncertain terms, that we need this legislation amendment to be reversed. I’m a victim of a work related vehicle crash and I’m catastrophically injured (entire leg loss & internal injuries & so on…) & traumatized & without the help from Workcover I would be dead. I at least have some hope for some quality of life & Workcover has alot to do with that hope. Barry’s Govt is dead if they don’t reverse this travesty. Sinister it is! All done under the cover of darkness, 2am is not the time when an open, honest Govt works. Sinister!
I understand the need for Workcover to tighten it’s legislation but this is just plain wrong! What about the Pain & Suffering clause that adds to Impairment Payments? Why is that being removed? I understand that there are scammers out there who just ‘bung it on’ for some easy money but they can be easily filtered out without removing the compensation of legit claims. Pain & suffering is a huge part of some claims! There’s a thousand better ways to do this than just remove the clause completely. Barry O’Farrel obviously shouldn’t be in that job. This is not what NSW needs. We need protection from idiots like that. We need protection for our Firies, Ambos, Nurses, Cops, Tradies and such. These are the ones who build this nation and who keep it clean & healthy. What’s with this? It’s just utterly ridiculous and I urge everyone who’s got a job to get in touch with their local state member & let them know we’re shocked & we’re not putting up with it AND we want them to do something about it! Please!