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LEADERSHIP
CHANGE
AT
WORKCOVER
BUT
STILL NO
FAIRNESS
FOR
INJURED
WORKERS
15
January
2010
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SA Unions
note the
WorkCover
media
release at
3.15 pm on
Friday 15th
January
concerning
the notice
of
resignation
of WorkCover
SA CEO, Ms
Julia
Davison. |
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Although we
acknowledge
the
difficult
and early
work Ms
Davison
undertook in
restructuring
and
refocusing
WorkCover SA
to become a
modern and
outcomes-focused
organisation,
we are
disappointed
that she
supported
the
development
and
implementation
of the most
anti-worker
laws ever
introduced
into the
workers
compensation
system of
South
Australia. |
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We commend
Ms Davison
for her
commitment
to the
importance
of injured
workers
returning to
work in a
healthy
state as the
fundamental
purpose of a
workers
rehabilitation
and
compensation
system,
although
real
outcomes are
yet to be
realised. |
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Unfortunately
it is
plainly
untrue, as
the release
states, that
she oversaw
legislative
reform which
delivers
fairness for
workers and
reduction in
costs for
employers.
The current
law is
highly
unfair to
injured
workers and
employers
are still
paying the
highest
workers
compensation
levies in
the country. |
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The
Government
legislative
reform
agenda
includes
such nasties
as |
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-
Cutting
workers
pay if
they
dispute
their
claim
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-
Cutting
their
payments
every
three
months
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-
Significantly
reducing
payments
for
permanent
impairment
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-
Kicking
injured
workers
off all
payments
after
130
weeks
with no
ability
to sue
their
employer.
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The impact
of these
changes
results in
huge
financial
and
emotional
stress to
injured
workers at a
time when
they are
trying to
recover and
return to
work. |
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There are
also
significant
and on-going
complaints
about the
management
of claims
and the
treatment of
injured
workers by
the
WorkCover
agent
Employers
Mutual as
well as
strong
concerns
about the
effectiveness
of the
rehabilitation
industry. |
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We wish Ms
Davison well
in the
future and
urge the
Government
to ensure a
CEO is
recruited
who has a
balanced
approach
which
includes
justice and
fairness for
those who
are injured
at work to
ensure
fairness and
dignity is
restored
into the SA
Workers
Compensation
System. |
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