Non-mainstream media acknowledges the realities of workplace fatalities

Bernard Keane writing in online newsletter, Crikey, is one of the few who has reported on the Australian Government’s insulation scheme debacle and kept the fact of worker deaths as more than just a moral sideline to the issue.

On 3 March 2010, Keane wrote a very good article which draws on the political and media attitudes to worker deaths over the last decade in Australia.  He highlights the political expediency of selective reporting and commentary on safety issues.  Many of the comments and assertions made at the Cole Royal Commission are still reiterated today and form the basis of some political party policies.

Given the recent media coverage on workplace bullying, Keane’s reminder on the deaths and suicides in the Australian Defence Forces and the political reticence to do anything on the matter, is timely.

It is only six weeks before the International Workers’ Memorial day,  (28 April 2010).  The 2010 commemoration is likely to be one of the most political events since it began almost two decades ago.

Some of the statistics that fueled the outrage against then-Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, are seriously questioned in this blog article at Pollytics.com.

Kevin Jones

reservoir, victoria, australia

4 thoughts on “Non-mainstream media acknowledges the realities of workplace fatalities”

  1. Thank you for the information Kevin, I hope to get to Tasmania this year, it would be good to see the Memorial Garden.

  2. Here in Adelaide Work Injured Resource Connection commemorate International Day of Mourning with the Don Gage Memorial Walk from WorkCover Corporation in Waymouth Street to the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest in Bonython Park. We plant a blue gum for every workplace fatal in the proceeding calendar year plus a tree for those who have lost their life due a workplace illness or disease, a tree for death due to transport related incidents, a tree for death of inter-state or overseas guest worker -who are not registered as a worker within South Australia- and a tree for the lives lost due to suicide as a direct result of the workplace or WorkCover.

    Work Injured Resource Connection started the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest in 2003 currently we have 120 trees and ground covers in the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest. This year we will add another 15 trees.

    To the very best of my reasearch the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest here in Adelaide is the only Deceased Workers Memorial Forest anywhere in the world.

    If any one wants the details of what it is we do here in Adelaide please contact me via e-mail. wirc@bold.net.au just put Interntional Day of Mourning in the subject box.

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