Today, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) released a four-page document criticising the campaigning techniques and statistical foundation of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Nothing unique in that ideological battle, however, what grabbed our attention was that SafetyAtWorkBlog is mentioned specifically.
I contacted the ACCI this morning and thanked them for reading the blog and for describing SafetyAtWorkBlog as a “respected website”. We’ll accept praise from anyone as our major indicator of success mainly comes from the steady increase in our readership statistics.
The ACCI makes considerable mileage out of a SafetyAtWorkBlog article that discusses the survey results that the ACTU released in support of some of its campaigning for further changes in the national OHS laws that are currently being drafted.
Several comments are useful in relation to the ACCI paper
SafetyAtWorkBlog obtained the survey results by requesting them through the ACTU and being provided them by Essential Media. We have a policy on any media releases that quote statistics. If the statistics are not readily available, or at least the relevant OHS parts of survey results, we do not usually report on the issues raised or we make a point of stating that the statistical assertions are not able to be verified.
The ACCI paper echoes many of the points raised in the blog article. Our main point was to question the wisdom of using statistics as support for a campaign when the statistics do not, necessarily, support the campaign objectives, or, in the least, may provide alternative interpretations.
The Essential Media report provided to SafetyAtWorkBlog could have been more detailed and the ACCI certainly wants more than we have seen. Releasing such a paper criticising the ACTU for not sharing research data puts the ACCI in a position now where it cannot deny the public release of its research data, at least, on matters relevant to OHS. The questions from ACCI have set a precedent for openness and information sharing.
Whether marching in the streets in support of an OHS campaign is effective, or warranted, or not is almost a moot point. Many of the televisions stations covered the union marches in Australia earlier this week. The 7.30 Report felt there was enough of a profile raised by the union campaign that it followed up many of the concerns raised with a long article in its show on 8 September 2009. The media exposure has been able to further raise the profile of OHS as a contentious issue that is being acted upon by government. It should raise the “seven out of ten” OHS awareness factor, quoted by the ACCI, a few points at least.
Given the criticism of the ACTU, one could genuinely ask, how the ACCI is increasing awareness of OHS matters in the community as well as its membership? It is not expected out in the streets but the occasional media release or four-page rebuttal does not have the same affect as a march of hundreds of people on the television.
In all of this to-ing and fro-ing, SafetyAtWorkBlog takes pride in its independence and as a forum for expressing views on a social and industrial issue that has only ever before been discussed by political ideologues from fixed perspectives.
Perhaps safety professionals could apply the wisdom of Oscar Wilde to safety
“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”
It seems to me that OHS has not been talked about for far too long.
