Government must not abandon health and safety reform
Thursday, 28 May 2015, 12:46 pm Press Release: First Union
Government must not abandon health and safety
reform
While resistance in the National Party caucus
delays the passage of the Health and Safety Reform Bill,
FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid says there should
be no health and safety law exceptions for small businesses
and farmers.
“Some MPs within the National Party appear
to be pushing to retain the status quo, the same status quo
that led to workplace disasters like the Pike River Mine
explosion”.
“Worker safety cannot be ignored and the
Government should not cave to pressure from MPs, small
businesspeople and farmers who want to minimise obligations
to provide a safe workplace”.
“Usually, in the absence
of strong regulation, a right wing government would
implement an incentive instead. The opponents of reform
appear to want neither”.
“We know from the pain of
experience that without strong legal standards some
businesses will do the bare minimum to protect workers.
There is another workplace disaster waiting to happen and
the government must not reject the opportunity to prevent
it”.
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