UnionsWA has commented on the delayed introduction into the WA  Parliament today of a Green Bill that will weaken work health and safety and criticised the Barnett Government for stating it will follow the lead of Tony Abbott in a review to further weaken national protections.

Meredith Hammat, Secretary UnionsWA said:

“This is yet another example of the Barnett Government siding with employers and losing the trust of working people on health and safety.

“This Green Bill proposes to weaken health and safety laws in fundamental ways.

“Health and safety whistle-blowers in WA will be exposed to undue pressure from employers and in a way that they are not elsewhere in Australia.

“Working people will be required to stay on the job in unsafe workplaces rather than stop to have problems remedied before accidents occur.

“UnionsWA calls on Barnett to urgently clarify aspects of the Green Bill that smack of a special deal for WA mining corporations meaning they may be able to wash their hands of responsibility for ensuring safe accommodation for fly-in fly-out workers.

“This latest delay through further consultation on the Green Bill is an attempt to hide the real agenda – waiting for a review of health and safety laws by Tony Abbott to further weaken national laws.

“Barnett trusts Abbott on health and safety, working West Australians can’t.

“The most recent official 2013 data shows that Australia-wide work-related fatalities have fallen over the past eleven years but they are now on the rise in WA for the first time since 2006.

“This is no time for complacency and weakness on health and safety.”