By Cameron Parker
SYDNEY — Worksafe Australia, the federal government's occupational health and safety (OHS) agency, has had its funds cut by over $10 million by the Howard Liberal government, with 118 of staff positions (over half) being declared excess.
These cuts are a major escalation of the Liberals' $5.9 million cut announced prior to the March federal election.
Created in 1985 by the Hawke Labor government, Worksafe has undertaken internationally significant research into workplace deaths and injuries which has at times led to major law reform by state governments.
Worksafe is the national repository for asbestos-related deaths, has the largest OHS library in the southern hemisphere, has been at the forefront of standardising national OHS laws, regulates the importation and use of hazardous chemicals in Australia and grants money to other organisations for training and research activities.
Not that cuts are new at Worksafe. In 1995, as a result of Labor government under-funding, all postgraduate courses conducted by Worksafe were axed and public access to OHS information was cut back.
Although Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) delegates and members at Worksafe have opposed the cuts, support and back-up from the NSW branch of the CPSU has been absent. Members have been left high and dry by union officials, facing either "voluntary" redundancy now or possible compulsory redundancy later.
Union members rightfully believe that the ACTU should be publicly defending Worksafe, given that OHS is a "top 10" ACTU campaign issue and that it has two representatives on Worksafe's board. Instead, the ACTU exacerbated the cuts by siding with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and state government representatives in protecting their $600,000 grants from the cuts and ruling that 70% of OHS research money be outsourced.
Despite management "consultations", there have at times been daily announcements of position after position being struck from the books.
CPSU members at other government agencies should watch out. Given that agencies will have to borrow money for their large redundancy pay-outs (in the case of Worksafe, about $1 million for the next five years), we have yet to see the full outcome of this round of government cuts.