VTHC Hails ‘Good Sense’ of Drug and Alcohol Report
Friday 8 June
VTHC Secretary, Brian Boyd today hailed the release of a national report that stated ‘the advantages of implementing testing regimes for the general working population could be quite minimal’, by saying “this is an overdue piece of common-sense research”. Earlier this year an employer association announced it wanted to be ‘free to attack drug use.” This report now shows up this feudal approach to the very important issue of impairment and workplace health and safety.
“If employers really want to make positive improvements to workplace health and safety, they should be adopting the Charter of Workers Rights for OHS and Compensation, encouraging the election of more OHS Reps, fixing up their own back yard and forgetting about John Howard’s harsh and unfair industrial laws,” said Mr Boyd.
Mr Boyd also urged the State government to improve protections for OHS Representatives from harassment and intimidation. “Unfair treatment of workers when they raise health and safety issues have been a feature of employer implementation of John Howard’s laws and this State government can do more to protect the good and decent working people of Victoria.”
The Report, released by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council, entitled “Work-related Alcohol and Drug Use – A fit for Work Issue”, also shows that there is little clear evidence on the links between drug use and absenteeism, low productivity, poor performance and accidents at work.
The ACTU released the Occupational Health and Safety Charter of Workplace Rights this week, urging all workplaces and governments to adopt it as minimum standards.
“If employers really want to make positive improvements to workplace health and safety, they should be adopting the Charter of Workers Rights for OHS and Compensation, encouraging the election of more OHS Reps, fixing up their own back yard and forgetting about John Howard’s harsh and unfair industrial laws,” said Mr Boyd.
Mr Boyd also urged the State government to improve protections for OHS Representatives from harassment and intimidation. “Unfair treatment of workers when they raise health and safety issues have been a feature of employer implementation of John Howard’s laws and this State government can do more to protect the good and decent working people of Victoria.”
The Report, released by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council, entitled “Work-related Alcohol and Drug Use – A fit for Work Issue”, also shows that there is little clear evidence on the links between drug use and absenteeism, low productivity, poor performance and accidents at work.
The ACTU released the Occupational Health and Safety Charter of Workplace Rights this week, urging all workplaces and governments to adopt it as minimum standards.