Following the diagnosis of silicosis affecting over a hundred workers in Queensland, the extent of this epidemic in WA will unknown until a recently announced program of workplace inspections by WorkSafe is complete. Two months ago, there were three publicly confirmed and recent diagnoses. However, sources have confirmed a further two such cases in WA. As Federal and State Government work safety representatives meet today to consider a new work heathy and safety standard for exposure to silica dust, UnionsWA has called for that standard to be set at a world best, not a mediocre level. Exposure to silica dust is commonly caused through working kitchen benchtops and in mining and studies have established a fatal link with the incidence of lung cancer, silicosis and fibrosis. The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia has also provided comment on its health monitoring services and expertise currently available to sufferers.

UnionsWA has today commented on the decision by WA Industrial Relations Commission in the State Wage Case, which sets wages for around three hundred thousand working West Australians on the WA Minimum Wage and reliant State awards including many trainees and apprentices.

UnionsWA has commented on the release today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics of the Wage Price Index series to March 2019.

A poll of key WA marginal electorates (Swan, Pearce and Hasluck) with 1,526 respondents, has revealed that pay rises for working West Australians are either insufficient or non-existent and this will be an important issue in determining the Federal election result

UnionsWA has commented on the release today by the McGowan Government of the 2019-20 WA State Budget.

UnionsWA has today renewed calls for industrial manslaughter law reform at national and state levels as today working people and unions commemorate International Workers' Memorial Day in Perth and with voting having just begun in the 2019 federal election. 

UnionsWA has welcomed the release today by the McGowan Government of a Code of Practice for Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) work (available online here),

UnionsWA Assistant Secretary, Owen Whittle addressing media (2/4/19) on the FIFO code.

UnionsWA has today released results from a poll commissioned by the ACTU on community attitudes in WA to industrial manslaughter law reform. This poll follows the recent release by the federal government of the Boland Review Report on national work health and safety laws which has recommended industrial manslaughter law reform. The WA Government is currently considering the need for this and other work health and safety reforms in WA.

UnionsWA has commented on the release today of new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the gap in pay between women and men and announced that on International Women’s Day, Friday 8 March, a rally of working women and men will be held to protest the lack of progress on equal pay, paid domestic violence leave and the need for improved parenting leave.

Interested union members are invited to hear an address by ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus. She will give the opening address to the State Conference of the MUA/CFMEU at 8:30am, Tuesday 26th February, The Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle. Deputy Leader of the Federal Opposition, Tanya Plibersek, will also provide an address. RSVPs not required.