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 About Us  About Unions NSWAbout UnionsWho's WhoInformation Centre What's Going On? Annual Reports   
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Mary Yaager - Occupational Health and Safety and Workers Compensation Officer
Workers Compensation & Occupational Health & Safety Co-ordinator, Mary Yaager, resumed her responsibilities for the co-ordination and development of Labor Council's polices on:
Workers CompensationOver the last 12 months Mary has been extensively involved with the implementation and monitoring of the new Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act, which was path breaking for Workers Compensation in New South Wales. The reason for this was that the legislation had bipartisan support of the employers and unions. This Act allowed for the establishment of a new peak advisory body; the Workers Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC). This body is comprised of equal employee (nominated by Labor Council) and employer representatives. Mary has been involved in following through a number of the WCAC recommendations for reform. The issues identified by the WCAC are major projects and therefore, WorkCover established a number of working parties to develop proposals for the Advisory Council in relation to these reforms. Mary has represented the unions on all of these working parties. Listed below is information in relation to the outcomes of some of the working parties.
Mary has also co-ordinated the response of the Labor Council representatives on this Advisory Council and ensures that the Labor Council's OH&S and Workers' Compensation Committee (WCAC) is actively involved in this process. The WCAC process has certainly made a difference to the consultative process and unions now are actively influencing policy in workers compensation and OH&S. The Workers' Compensation Scheme is starting to turn around with the schemes first surplus in six years. This is attributed to the new injury management initiatives put forward by the unions and also the hard work, effort and commitment of the unions who have been actively involved in monitoring the scheme. The new Act also allowed for the establishment of peak OH&S and Workers Compensation Industry Reference Groups (IRGs) with equal employer and employee representatives. These groups are subsets of the peak Advisory Council and are responsible for making recommendations on industry specific strategies for:
The employee representatives on these Statutory Bodies have been nominated by Labor Council and Mary has actively involved all of the unions. There are over 300 representatives on these groups comprising of union officers and their delegates and employers. These groups, in conjunction with Council's OH&S and Workers' Compensation Committee, have made recommendations to WCAC in terms of Labor Council OH&S and workers' compensation policies. Mary also represents Council on a number of these groups. The majority of the IRGs have developed excellent industry specific guidance material on injury management and risk management while others have developed marketing strategies for raising awareness. This should be rolled out next year. Mary will continue to oversee the running of these groups and also continue participation. TrainingWorkCover and Labor Council have continued to conduct the Authorised Officers Course. These courses are mirrored on the WorkCover Inspectors Training Manual and provides union officers with the necessary skills and knowledge regarding occupational health and safety and in particular their Right of Entry powers. The feedback on these courses has been extremely positive and they were well attended. In addition, Mary has conducted a number of in-house briefings for unions on the new changes to Workers Compensation. Workers Compensation & OH&S Information Packages.Mary, with the assistance of unions and their delegates, has developed an information package which includes a brochure and a flow chart for unions to distribute to their members about the new changes to Workers Compensation. This material is badged with the new union logo "unions: with you at work" and also provides a blank section for unions to badge and provide their own contact details and, in consultation with WorkCover, has also developed a Workers Compensation training package for union delegates. This kit was launched by the Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon. Jeff Shaw, QC MLC, earlier this year and a number of these courses have been conducted for union delegates. The course provides delegates with essential information to assist them in their day-to-day activities, particularly in the areas associated with disputes and return to work issues. An OH&S Delegates kit is also being put together by a sub committee of the Council, the OH&S and Workers' Compensation Committee and this will be piloted in February 2000 with a number of union delegates. The kit will be simple for union officers to use in training their delegates in the basics of OH&S. It will also be accompanied by an activists/delegates handbook. Committee ActivityMary has continued to convene, coordinate and assist Labor Council's OH&S and Workers Compensation Committee. In consultation with this committee, Mary has prepared the following:
Commentary on all draft OH&S and Workers Compensation legislation and policy, for example: Submission to WCAC on reforms to the Labour Hire Industry the draft Consolidated Regulation 2000. Response to new OH&S legislation.Labor Council has been invited to make a submission to the Regulatory Authority in response to any concerns with the draft Consolidated Regulation which is currently out for public comment. Mary has commenced the preparation of this submission in full consultation with the unions through a number of working parties. There will also be an opportunity for regional union officers to participate in this process as Mary will organise to meet with unions in regional locations. This will be a mammoth task as the draft Regulation will replace the 36 Regulations operating under the OH&S 1983. The Factories, Shops and Industries Act 1962 and the Construction Act 1912. There is concern that some of the prescript legislation will be diluted. Mary will ensure that all of the prescriptive Legislation is maintained. YouthSafe CommitteeMary has continued to assist and convene the YouthSafe Committee. Mary has been developing, in association with the Committee, an OH&S awareness Kit for High Schools. Labor Council, members of the YouthSafe Committee, Bleendin Heart Media and the NSW Teachers Federation have conducted a number of focus group activities with a diverse range of high schools. These focus groups involved delegates from the Teachers Federation the Independent Education Union as well as a number of teachers and Careers Advisors. The feedback from the focus groups was extremely positive and Teachers indicated that material on the subject of OH&S is long overdue. The Kit will contain a teachers resource manual as well as information for students which will be in the form of stickers, cards and leaflets. The kit will be launched in May 2000 and piloted in a number of schools thereafter. It will then be revised and made available to all schools in NSW. OH&S Interactive Internet SiteMary has assisted Labor Council's Industrial Officer, Michael Gadiel, in the establishment of an OH&S Internet Site. As part of a WorkCover grant project, Labor Council now has its own customised OH&S Internet Site to sit along side the Labor Council's existing site. The site is to be located at the address http://www.ohs.labor.net.au It consists of three main areas:
The question & answer and content areas will be driven by a publishing engine which will enable us to put text quickly onto the Internet. The type of information to be put up will include safety alerts, research papers, submissions for comment, government legislation and regulation, Labor Council's OH&S and workers compensation policies, etc. The site is currently being built and can be viewed (in an incomplete state) on the Internet at: http://www.ohs.labor.net.au. We hope to get the Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon. Jeff Shaw, QC MLC, to launch the site. WorkCover has provided further funding under the YouthSafe initiative to develop an interactive Internet site. The aim of the project is to produce an effective, engaging and relevant source of information for students and teachers. It will aim to provide them with the ability to identify the OH&S risks as well as raising awareness of their rights and responsibilities. Outcome of Upper House Inquiry into Workplace SafetyThe Law and Justice committee released their final report. Labor Council is pleased to report that a number of the recommendations within our submission to the Inquiry have been incorporated in the final report of the Law & Justice Committee. The Government will be introducing Legislation in the Autumn session of parliament - May 2000. In line with Councils recommendations we will see the introduction of workplace safety representatives as well as it being mandatory for employers to consult with employees and their unions. Organising Campaigns around OH&S issuesMary will be working with a number of unions over the next 12 months to use OH&S issues as a tool to campaign around. Labor Council will assist in facilitating workshops to identify the issues (based on the new organising model). These workshops will involve unions and their delegates in developing the OH&S issue for campaigns. Mary has already approached a number of unions regarding this activity and they are extremely enthusiastic. Mary's other responsibilities:
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