Postal
ACTU takes a strong position against Post’s OH&S Record
(9 March, 2009): The ACTU Executive has called for action to revoke Australia Post’s Comcare self-insurance license after the ACTU OHS/Workers Compensation Committee had raised concerns about a number of work related deaths in Australia Post.
A loss of their self – insurance license would mean Australia Post would be subject to greater scrutiny for all matters related to OH&S and workers compensation.
This is the motion originally passed by the ACTU Committee:
This meeting of the ACTU OHS/WC Committee notes the report on the recent prosecution of Post Logistics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australia Post for contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 (Cth) in relation to the death of a contractor.
We also note that this is the third time since 2002 that Post Logistics has been convicted for breaching OHS legislation at this site and the second time a failure to comply with the laws has resulted in the death of a worker. It is apparent that this employer is not a superior performer in injury prevention and in the maintenance of high OHS standards.
We demand that the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) exercise the full powers it has at its discretion and revoke the Australia Post self-insurance license. We will ask the Commissioners nominated by the ACTU to seek that this issue is considered at the next SRCC meeting. Further we ask the ACTU to immediately raise the matter of sub-standard OHS performance of Comcare self-insurers directly with the Rudd Government.
Australia Post is also being subject to investigation by Comcare over a number of work related deaths of posties. Those matters are yet to be concluded.