Miners Wait For Action

Scores of workers are being injured in mines while the NSW Government sits on its hands over reform in the industry, according to the CFMEU.

The CFMEU's Tony Maher says the Government has not acted on the recommendations handed down four months ago in the Wran Review on mine safety.

The review recommended a properly resourced inquiry into fatality and injury rates, backed up by prosecution of bosses who breach safety regulations.

Maher said miners would be forced to act if nothing happens.

"The NSW Government has done nothing while scores of coal mineworkers continue to be seriously injured at work," Maher said.

"Mineworkers on the job have had enough - they are demanding action from the State Government."

Maher said the Government reaped hundreds of millions of dollars a year in royalties from the $8 billion a year coal industry.

"It is a disgrace that the Government is not prepared to allocate just a fraction of this to ensure safety standards are properly applied and in the event that they are not, then those responsible for safety breaches should be held to account."

Maher said the union wanted sufficient funding to pursue prosecutions for breaches of safety standards.

"This should not be just limited to those who are responsible for deaths in the industry - there also needs to be adequate funds to ensure enforcement of penalties against those whose breaches of safety laws lead to the spate of serious injuries that is plaguing the state's coal industry."

"The ball is in the Government's court and it must act now."

© 2002 UNIONSAFE
This site is sponsored by the Workcover Authority of NSW for Labor Council of NSW

Site designed and engineered by Social Change Online [credits]
This page: http://unionsafe.net.au/news/112304931816823.html
Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:33 EST