'Bullied' workers to fight reforms

WCV's would like to thank "ANNA" for this article.

Article from: Sunday Mail Newspaper
Written By: RENATO CASTELLO
October 26, 2008 01:00am

INJURED workers are uniting under a new peak body to fight the
controversial WorkCover reforms, saying they have been "bullied" for too
long.

And the group's spokeswoman has vowed to help people return to work
quicker, accusing the WorkCover system of "breaking" injured workers.

The body – which has the working name of Encompass – will provide
counselling, support and advice to injured workers and families of people
killed at work.

Encompass spokeswoman and injured worker Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson
said changes to WorkCover meant people injured at work must stand united.
"The one thing we know more than anyone else is that when you're forced
into isolation, which the system does, you start to doubt your own injuries,"
she said."(The group) has been a long time in the making but with the change
of legislation . . . it has formalised it to the point that we have to do something.
"We can't rely on the system to fix the system because it's the system itself
that is broken and injured workers are being even more broken because of it.
"With the formation of this body, we intend to be a voice to be heard . . .
this is the first time this has actually been attempted in Australia."

In June, the State Government rammed through changes to the WorkCover
scheme – including cutting workers' entitlements – in a bid to rein in ballooning
unfunded liabilities nudging $1 billion.

Ms McKenzie-Ferguson – who runs advocacy group the Work
Injured Resource Connection Office – said the lobby group would
provide social workers, community advocates and possibly financial
counsellors to help injured workers. She said the group – which already has
about 200 members – would also write to Industrial Relations Minister
Paul Caica to seek an "observational seat" at WorkCover board meetings.
"We are quite serious in what we are doing because, quite frankly,
injured workers have been pushed and bullied for far too long," she said.
"Nobody sits down and explains to them what the (WorkCover) process
is and what's actually involved in returning to work.
"What we will be doing is hand-holding until they understand those
processes and encouraging them in their own return-to-work plans.

The problem now is employers simply don't know if they can trust the work
ethic of an injured employee so our goal is to try and break down those barriers."
She said Encompass had secured office space through an "industry heavyweight"
but would apply for money through WorkCover's $15 million return-to-work fund,
which was established as part of the State Government's review of the workers
compensation system.

WorkCover is offering one-off payments to any group that can devise
strategies to get people back into the workforce."We hope the minister will
be supportive and the corporation will be supportive," Ms McKenzie-Ferguson
said. An inaugural public meeting of Encompass is scheduled for December.