Compensation Advice

Employee Safety Representatives = Union Business

Just like a delegate or shop steward, the role of the Employee Safety Representative (ESR) represents workers.  Unlike delegates and shop stewards, not all ESR's are union members.

In fact, many workplaces don't have an ESR.  A state WorkCover Authority estimates that only about 20% of workplaces have ESR's.  Yet the ESR is a legislated and powerful role in the workplace as a worker representative.

In Tasmania, Employee Safety Representative rights and powers include:

Ø       Being supplied with all information relating to health and safety in the workplace by the employer;

Ø       The right to be consulted about health and safety;

Ø       Inspecting the workplace;

Ø       If a rep believes that there is a situation that is an immediate risk, s/he can order a stop work;

Ø       If the situation is not of immediate concern, issue written notice to the employer requiring that some action be taken;

Ø       And the right to paid training at a course of the Employee Safety Representatives choice.

For more detail on the role and powers of Employee Safety Representatives go to Sections 27 to 32 of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 and Regulations 34 to 37 of the Regulations 1998.

MEMBERS ONLY

The Union office stocks a wide range of knives, steels, stones and other tools for its members at wholesale or below wholesale prices.

·         We stock a large variety of Geisser, Victorinox, Victory and Dexter Russell knives, along with Cambrian, Dick, Dickeron and Geisser steels of various grades from course to fine to superfine to polished.

·         We stock diamond steels and sharpeners and various sharpening stones in both oil or non oil variety and oxide.

·         This is purely a service arrangement to members and we use our bulk buying ability to secure the best prices for our members.  Phone us for a full price list.

·         Why pay retail or contribute to someone's profit margins when you can buy from the union which creates turnover that enables us to get even better prices.

·         Ask your union official or delegate about our tools or contact the union office to purchase these tools.

·         Purchases can be made by cash or direct debit.

 SUPER CHOICE.  THINK ABOUT YOUR FUTURE

As from 1 July, many workers will be entitled to choose their own superannuation fund.  However, for the many workers in the meat industry this choice has effectively been made through your EBA negotiations.

MIESF has been specifically designed for workers in the meat industry and has taken into account the particular requirements of this industry. The Funds objectives: not to make a loss and beat inflation and bank deposit rates over longer periods have always been achieved with an average return of 10% over the life of the Fund.

The Death Benefit that is offered by MIESF has a number of unique features.  The first of these is that the Death Benefit does not cut off after a member has ceased receiving employer contributions for three or six months as is the norm, but will continue indefinitely for workers under 55 and for those over 55, will continue for 3 years after the last employer contribution has been received.  This feature was introduced in recognition of the seasonal nature of our industry.  The Death Benefit also offers a flat $100,000.00 of cover for $3.00 per member per week.  This flat rate of cover is also unusual in the superannuation industry and is attractive for members over the age of 40 to 45 where, under most schemes, the benefit falls quite dramatically.

All this is achieved through self management of the Fund, which also enables the Fund to offer very low fees to members of $1.00 per member per week with no entry or exit fees and no commissions payable.

A representative Board of 7 employer and 7 member representatives (selected by the AMIEU) manage the Fund.  The Fund is not public offer and thus members may only join if their employer is prepared to sign up as a participating employer.  There are currently 837 participating employers most of who are in the meat industry.  MIESF should be seen as the 'fund of choice' for workers in the meat industry.  For further information you should contact the Fund Office on 1800 252 099 or visit the website www.miesf.com.au.

 

The Rutherford Report is available from the Tasmanian Government DIER Website

 

The Government is taking action to modify Tasmania's workers compensation arrangements after a review found that some workers are suffering unanticipated hardship as a result of changes introduced in 2001.  

The Rutherford Report, completed by Bob Rutherford, involved extensive consultation with key stakeholders.

 

Go to:   http://www.dier.tas.gov.au/publications/index.html

Meat legislation loophole?

Tasmania's peak red meat producers group says the state needs better legislation to safeguard the local meat industry. The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association Meat Council chairman David Byard says the state's reputation for high quality meat, which is free of disease, GMO's and hormonal growth promotants, could be jeopardised by meat coming here from interstate or overseas. David Byard says as things stand there's a legislative loophole in which could allow meat from elsewhere to be sold as Tasmanian. 

Beef bred in Tasmania taken out of the state to be fattened in mainland feedlots say 90 days on grain.  Who checks to see if grain feed is GMO or cattle have been implanted with HGP's or mainland stock have been mixed with mainland stock?

On return for processing in Tasmania is the meat a product of Tasmania or processed in Tasmania?

Tasmania is the only state to have banned HGP's.

Cattle bought into the state and processed here legally labeled "Processed in Tasmania".  Cattle grown and bred in Tasmania are a product of Tasmania.  Meat simply sold as Tasmanian meat - What is its status?

Cattle coming into the state being born and bred on the mainland, fattened here and processed here, one would presume as a product of Tasmania.  If this is the case how long does stock have to reside in Tasmania to become a product of Tasmania?  One week, one month, how long?

Product that has a map of Tasmania and says making Tasmania proud.  This product may have been made up of meat from the mainland or places like Denmark, Canada, Holland.  If something like BSE or something dreadful turns up what would it do to Tasmania's reputation?

How many cattle actually come into the state for slaughter over any given year and is there a data base kept so as numbers of cattle can be traced?  If there is not a data base how long would it take for one person to collate these figures?

WORKERS COMPENSATION

RETURN TO WORK PLANS

Recently there has been a number of enquiries by members seeking advise on their legal rights in relation to "Return to Work Plans".

Some employers whether they are self insured or covered by insurance companies are trying to pressure injured workers into signing off on their return to work plans.

There is no legal requirement to sign off on anything in relation to these plans and we advise members to sign nothing.  Your medical practitioner is the authority for signing these plans and your employer knows this, so don't be pressured.  If you are contact us as soon as possible.  Rehabilitation Coordinators should be acting in your best interest.  If they are not you have the right to change coordinators.

A question was asked recently as to whether the rehab coordinator was allowed to attend doctor's appointments with the injured worker?  The answer is yes but only if the injured worker agrees.  If the injured worker feels uncomfortable with the rehab coordinator being there they can refuse the rehab coordinator to attend the same appointment.  The rehab coordinator can then make their own appointment with the doctor treating the injured worker.

SOMETIMES IT'S OK TO

SAY NO!

Machinery used in meat processing can be bloody dangerous!

Many horrific injuries have occurred in the meat industry that were caused by machines invented to assist in the cutting up of animals after they are dead.

These machines are just as effective on live humans as they are on dead animals!

Machines designed to saw animals in half have sawn through many human fingers, arms, legs and feet with the same ease.

Machines designed to cut off animal's legs and heads have amputated many human hands over the past few years.

Meat denuding machines have skinned human fingers and thumbs to bony stumps or worse!

These types of injuries are permanent and usually leave workers disfigured for life.

Many workers are unaware that they can refuse to operate hazardous machinery that they have not been properly trained in the use of.

If you have not been shown what type of injury can occur when using the machine that you are asked to operate, if you have not been shown the safety features or what to do in case of accident or emergency;

SAY NO!

AND  SAY NO!  TO WORKPLACE INJURIES

A WORKER SAFETY CAMPAIGN BY THE

AUSTRALASIAN MEAT INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES UNION

THE STORY BEHIND THE BUTCHERS APRON

Why do butchers wear those navy blue and white striped aprons?

This is a tradition of our meat trade today, just as the straw boater is the mark of the British butcher.

Years ago the Butchers Guild, which began somewhere around the tenth century, had a blue and silver crest.

These colours were reproduced in the butchers' aprons with the difference that the rather strong blue, known as butchers' blue, was darkened to navy because this colour did not show up the stains so clearly.

If he wore a broad stripe, he was a master butcher.  If the broad stripe stood alone, he had come up the hard way, learning his trade as he worked at it.  But if the broad stripe was topped by a narrow stripe, he was a master butcher who had been apprenticed to his trade.

An apprentice wore an apron with a narrow stripe until he became a master, and if he then undertook to train apprentices himself, he was entitled to wear an apron sporting three stripes - a broad one signifying his mastership, sandwiched between two narrow ones signifying his own apprenticeship and the fact that he was now teaching apprentices.