CTU media release
7 August 2009

Boys club to review ACC

The announcement today by ACC Minister Nick Smith of the terms of reference and membership of the steering group for the stocktake of ACC is an insult to workers, women and the CTU, said CTU President Helen Kelly.

“Workers, who rely on ACC for medical treatment and income following a work accident, are already observing cost cutting in the system which shifts the cost burden to them of treatment and rehabilitation, including the possibility of having to pay for scans and recent reports of higher rejection rates of applications for surgery. The Cabinet paper establishing the stocktake group itself identifies a number of cuts including two initiatives that have been withheld by the Government under the Official Information Act.”

“Most worrying is the proposal that the steering group consider handing to employers the management of injuries sustained outside the workplace. This will result in undue interference by employers in the private lives of their employees and is completely unacceptable.”

“For women, this is the third all boys club this government has set up recently – twelve men to review taxation, eight men to advise on infrastructure and now four men to review ACC. It is incredible that in these three very important areas women are completely unrepresented. It is even more incredible when the stated priority of the Minister of Women’s Affairs is to increase the participation of women on boards. The Minister advised the Cabinet that he was seeking a skill mix and a sufficiently diverse group with different perspectives to undertake the work. Women will see the Tui advertisement in that.”

“The CTU represents over 360,000 workers in this country but was not even asked for its view on the terms of reference, or consulted about the make-up of the group. The Cabinet paper makes it clear we will be consulted when the work is complete just prior to it going to the Minister.”

“Mr Smith has rather disingenuously noted that the CTU will be consulted during the stocktake but denied us the chance to discuss the scope of the review. There are major issues being considered here and the process is simply unsound,” said Helen Kelly.

ENDS

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