union – Page 2 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Every Worker Deserves A Good Life

Work-related suicide is more insidious in some ways than non-work suicide, as it is institutionally stigmatised to the extent that its reality has been denied. There is an additional level of complexity when an employer is in control of the work, and a strong economic ideology often denies the influence of work factors. The tide is turning, but organisational factors are not receiving the prominence they deserve, and the change remains slow.

New Australian research is playing a crucial role in accelerating this change.

Note: This article discusses issues related to suicide.

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Australia’s Safety Blindspot

Australia’s Economic Roundtable recycled the same institutions and failed metrics that have long masked our productivity crisis. As Amy Remeikis notes, those who shaped past policy failures now feign surprise at the fallout. Meanwhile, important drivers of productivity, such as safe and quality work, remain ignored. OHS is treated as a compliance chore, rather than a strategic asset. If the Albanese government truly wants productivity reform, it must stop listening only to the “profit class” and start measuring what matters: worker health, dignity, and contribution.

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International Workers Memorial Day Speech Template

I have attended many memorials for deceased workers. Usually, a local or State politician makes a speech about the importance of occupational health and safety (OHS), and how every worker has a right to return home safely and healthily at the end of the working day. The speeches are usually clichéd, even though these words are heartfelt and sometimes sound like they have been written from a template.

So I asked an artificial intelligence program to write a speech for International Workers Memorial Day by a senior Australian politician. Below is the remarkable result.

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“reinvigorated in nerve and muscle” – working hours and OHS

Prominent in some of Australia’s political and economic debates are issues related to hours of work. This may be associated with the four-day work week, the five-day work week in construction, working from home, or the general debate about productivity, whatever definition you prefer, and there are many.

With the political backdrop of the government’s Economics Roundtable, a very timely new book by Sean Scalmer – “A Fair Day’s Work – The Quest to Win Back Time” was published.

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The Hidden OHS Emergency Behind Victoria’s Firefighting Fleet

New documentary “Breaking Point” is a curious mix of propaganda, lobbying, whistleblowing, fear, stress, with an occupational health and safety (OHS) undertone. According to Victorian firefighters, they are being sent to fight fires and save lives with equipment that is known to be faulty—a problem that could easily be solved.

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Assessing ‘Union’: A Missed Opportunity in Safety Storytelling

There was a row of cheering trade union supporters in the late session of the documentary “Union” at Carlton’s Cinema Nova earlier this week. The film was showing as part of a documentary festival, and the cinema was less than half-full. The film showed an example of grass-roots union organising. There were optimism and failures, and the occupational health and safety (OHS) catalysts for the unionism were mentioned in passing.

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Employer Responsibility in Workplace Safety is Being Overlooked

In the ongoing debates about workplace safety, a critical question is often left unasked: What are employers doing to ensure safe and healthy work environments, and why are their responsibilities so frequently underplayed in public discourse? Too often, when workplace safety issues arise, the conversation quickly shifts to affordability and government intervention.

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