The State Government finally released the Hanks report into Victoria’s
Accident Compensation system and the timing of its release on Grand Final
eve isn’t the only embarrassment for Labor as the report contains many
regressive recommendations that will make life harder for injured workers.
The report fails to adequately recommend fair and just compensation to
workers injured in Victoria and will make it harder for workers suffering
stress related injury to claim compensation.
The report recommends that the Accident Compensation Conciliation Service
be stripped of the power to issue directions to employers to pay compensation
to injured workers. This will effectively neuter the current dispute resolution
process and is reminiscent of the deleterious changes the Kennett government
made in 1992.
Other changes diminish workers rights to return to work and / or to have
appropriate representation through the disputes process and the return to
work process.
Victoria already provides the lowest percentage of pre-injury
earnings for 120 weeks of incapacity to workers according to the
9th Edition of the WorkPlace Relations Ministers Comparative
Monitoring Report.
Victoria also has the highest rejection rate of any other
Australian compensation system with 14.1% of all new claims
being rejected according to this comparator.
Victoria has the second lowest return to work rates of any
of the other States except South Australia according to the
Heads of Workers’ Compensation Authorities Return to Work
Monitor.
Victoria has the highest percentage of injured workers that are
either sacked or retrenched with 18% of injured workers surveyed
were either sacked or retrenched this report also states.
The Victorian system already fails to provide fair and just weekly payment,
an appropriate dispute resolution process with real powers, and does not
provide adequate return to work rights for injured workers. If the
Government adopts the Hanks’ recommendations the system in Victoria
will make life even harder for injured workers under Labor.
Click here to view/print a copy of the Hanks Report Recommendations; www.compensationreview.vic.gov.au
Click here to view/print a copy of Trades Hall’s response;
http://www.cpsuvic.org/public_docs/FixWorkcoverRepsMeeting0810.pdf
September 29th, 2008.
So WCV's would like to know, going by the above figures, why is worksafe
claiming that they have Record levels of return to work sustainability in their
2008 Annual Report?.
Why is it that, Worksafe are claiming they cannot afford to include
all injured workers who missed out in the Bracks Changes, but they are
claiming a record performance from insurance operations in the high
millions?
Who is telling the truth here?
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