Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

Workers to be made to work harder and longer, with injuries to increase

On the occasion of International RSI Awareness Day (known in Australia as Occupational Overuse Syndrome), the Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Leigh Hubbard today warned Victorian workers that under the proposals unveiled by Kevin Andrews, the Federal Minister for Workplace Relations, they will be made to work harder and longer increasing the likelihood of developing injuries such as OOS.

'When this government speaks of 'productivity-driven wage increases' what they really mean is that all workers will have to work faster, harder and longer for less pay. '

'Already, we know that Australians work the largest number of unpaid overtime hours of any industrialised country in the world. Victorian workers and their families are already feeling the impact of this. With the proposed changes to workplace laws such as the sidelining of the Industrial Relations Commission and tampering with the process for the setting of the minimum wage, this government will be placing a further strain on an already overworked workforce.'

Injuries such as OOS can happen to workers in all industries and are exacerbated by work stress, which is most commonly caused by pressure to work harder and faster,' Mr Hubbard said.

Since 2000, there have been more than 74,000 compensated sprains and strains cases every year (National Occupational Health and Safety Commission). In Victoria, there were 18,567 successful workers' compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in 2003-04 - this was 58% of all claims. 2,400 of these claims (8.5% of total claims) were because of repetitive movements.

The total workers' compensation payments from 1985 to 2004 for MSD were $423.3 million.

'Today is a day to raise awareness of OOS and the devastating toll it can have on workers' lives. But instead of having the confidence that awareness is rising and that new and improved work methods and employer education will stymie the rising number of OOS incidents, we are unfortunately in a position where our Federal Government is planning to exacerbate the problem,' Mr Hubbard concluded.


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