Heathy Work Conference 2023
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128, 8 November 2023, page no.12
The Australian Council of Trade Unions hosted its annual Healthy Work Conference in Brisbane on 4 and 5 October.
The Queensland contingent (Deputy General Secretary Brendan Crotty, Dan Coxen, Mel De Waard, Jodie McFadden, Kevina O’Neill, Gillian Armit and Paige Bousen) was joined at the conference by representatives from the AEU Federal Office, AEU Victorian Branch and the State School Teachers’ Union of WA, providing an opportunity to network and discuss health and safety issues facing members in schools and TAFE colleges across the country.
The opening address by Federal Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Tony Burke focused on the overarching principle that workers should never have to choose between their safety and their pay.
Workers, both casual and permanent, currently report adverse experiences when they speak up around health and safety matters in their workplace. The lived experiences of workers who speak up include stalled career progression or loss of shifts - a clear demonstration that workers are still forced to choose between their safety and their pay.
Tony Burke further highlighted that employers who cut corners on salaries are the same employers who are willing to cut corners when it comes to the safety of workers. No cut is acceptable, and transparent processes are essential.
This overarching theme prompted the QTU delegation to reflect on what the minimum standard for health and safety in schools should look like.
Often schools and TAFE are viewed by government and employers as service providers of education, and that their obligations to their employees in these workplaces are somehow different from other workplace in the community. This is a culture we need to change, particularly as our workplaces and work continue to grow more complex.
The conference workshops aligned to two themes:
- Legislative reforms – industrial relations, workers’ compensation, ending sexual harassment, and rights of health and safety representatives
- Airborne contaminants - the silica crisis, and indoor ventilation and air quality.
Many of the workshops were practical and focused on educating and organising union members using WH&S legislation, agreement clauses, and policy to win improved working conditions and enforce key entitlements.
Following the conference, the QTU will be working with the Queensland Council of Unions to develop contextual health and safety representative (HSR) training tailored to schools and TAFE workplaces.
If you are interested in establishing a work group and conducting an election for a HSR in your workplace, contact your Regional Organiser, who can provide advice and support with the process.
The QTU is focused on making sure the health, safety and wellbeing of our members is central every day. This conference provided the opportunity to broaden union employee knowledge and understanding and build a stronger network to support our members.
Brendan Crotty
Deputy General Secretary