The exercise by workers of their legal rights to refuse to perform unsafe work is legitimate and has already been a feature of this two-year long pandemic, writes Anthony Forsyth | OPINION auspol ACTU
Staffing shortages caused by this summer’s Omicron surge have led to the relaxation of COVID restrictions by federal and state governments.
Rules were also changed to allow an ever-expanding group of key or essential workers, including those in food production, emergency services, utilities and transportation, to return to work even if they are a close contact – with no isolation period – subject to certain conditions. empower work health and safety representatives to direct the cessation of unsafe work based on “a reasonable concern that to carry out the work would expose [a worker] to a serious risk to the worker’s health or safety, emanating from an immediate or imminent exposure to a hazard”;
Since the pandemic began, unions have stepped in to resist failures by businesses to ensure safe working conditions at workplaces like industrial laundries, warehouses/distribution centres, wharves, call centres, aircraft/airports and in many other settings. They have done this by successfully utilising some or a combination of the above legal provisions.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Major threat over Omicron outbreakAustralia’s unions have threatened to stop work over “unsafe” work practices, with workers demanding free rapid tests and new masks as the Omicron outbreak rages.
Read more »
‘Dangerous in a democracy’: Civil rights groups’ alarm at government’s Djokovic caseCivil rights experts warn the key reason deporting Novak Djokovic is weak and could be used to block travellers with undesirable political views but who pose no real risk to the community, report Paul Sakkal and Ashleigh McMillan
Read more »
‘Dangerous in a democracy’: Civil rights groups’ alarm at government’s Djokovic caseCivil rights proponents say one of the federal government’s key reasons for deporting the tennis star could create a precedent to block travellers with undesirable political views.
Read more »
Woolworths suspends supplier over claims COVID-positive employees were forced to workWoolworths has suspended arrangements with one of its main suppliers, Teys Australia, after the nation’s peak union body claimed a South Australian abattoir made COVID-positive employees keep on working. 7NEWS
Read more »
Harris warns voting rights ‘under assault’ as family and activists honor MLKMartin Luther King’s family and civil rights advocates urged lawmakers to ‘protect our voting rights or be an enabler of voter suppression’
Read more »
Hammered at home, admired abroad: Djokovic lie Australia can’t swallowThe Novak Djokovic saga has drawn plenty of attention to Australia, but the notion it has damaged our reputation abroad is rubbish.
Read more »