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O’Farrell Government decided to cut a
number of beneÞts for people on workers’
compensation in NSW. “This included the
journey provision, which cover accidents
that occur when travelling to and from
your place of employment,” says Russ,
who is driven by the tragedy of the four
AWU members employed by National
Parks who were killed ba"ling a bushÞre
on the NSW Central Coast in 2001.
“The reason I raised this issue is
because many of our people are going
straight to a Þre from their homes. When
the announcement to make changes to
workers compensation was made by the
O’Farrell Government, there was outrage
from all sectors of the emergency services,
including ambulance officers, Þremen
and the police.”
The Þre brigade even aimed a water
canon at NSW Parliament House as
part of its deÞant stance. As a consequence,
the NSW government exempted the
police, ambulance offices and FRNSW
from the WorkCover reforms. “They
remain under the old system of
compensation,” Russ says.
“When we heard about these
exemptions, we were up in arms as we
expected that as our members Þght Þres,
they would be placed in the same category
as other emergency services workers.”
A fair assumption. The AWU took
the anomaly to bureaucrats and the
government in a civil way. “We have
a highly justiÞable case and urged the
government that they needed to address
the issue.”
The government claimed it required
legal advice and the counsel of
WorkCover, and continued to stonewall
the AWU’s representations on behalf of
its members.
“This situation is unacceptable as our
members stand shoulder to shoulder with
other people Þghting Þres on the frontline,
but they don’t have the same insurance
coverage,” Russ says.
“While the old system of workers’
compensation in NSW wasn’t the best, it
was the best in this country. Now it is the
worst and it is stunning how far it’s
deteriorated.”
The changes are extremely complex,
but Þve of the more dramatic potential
changes for AWU members are outlined
in the box, right.
The AWU imposed bans on high-risk
ÞreÞghting activities such as working in
helicopters and felling burning trees, but
Russ says the bans were discontinued
when the NSW Industrial Relations
Commission president, Justice Roger
Boland, offered to hear the case.
“We consulted our members, who
agreed this was the best way forward and
the case went to the commission on
November 9, 2012,” says Russ.
It should not be ignored that the
ÞreÞghting deeds of AWU members have
major ramiÞcations for the wider
community. “Our members aren’t just
pu"ing out Þres ra"ling up trees, they’re
Þghting major Þres that can go into areas
that jeopardise the community living near
crown land,” Russ says. “Normally Þres
start on crown land and move into those
communities and there would not be a
bushÞre in a national park or forest that
our people aren’t involved in.”
Paul Howes agrees, adding that he
Þnds it hard to believe that people such as
NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell can have
such a cavalier approach to the safety of
workers and local communities.
“Mr O’Farrell’s own electorate of
Ku-ring-gai is surrounded by forests and
national parks, yet he is prepared to
gamble with bushÞre safety just to save
a few bucks.
“I’ve got a simple message to the
politicians and number crunchers who
want to play bushÞre roule"e: it’s just not
worth it. The people who are pu"ing their
lives on the line deserve be"er. They
deserve respect, they deserve support, and
they deserve protection.”
In Victoria, the Ballieu Government is
yet to focus the full force of its cost-cu"ing
ßamethrower on forest Þre Þghters, who
the AWU represents, but the damaging
cuts have started. “The Victorian
government announced cuts to whitecollar
areas such as administrative support
staff represented by the Community and
Public Sector Union, but there are early
signs now that these cuts might Þlter
across to other departments such as the
Department of Sustainability and
Environment (DSE),” says Cesar Melhem,
AWU Victorian Branch Secretary.
The biggest challenge now facing the
AWU in Victoria is trying to convince
the state government to convert seasonal
part-time ÞreÞghters into fulltime
ÞreÞghters within the DSE.
“The ratio has been steadily leaning
to seasonal Þre Þghters rather than
professional Þre Þghters,” says Cesar.
The AWU represents about 1000 forest
ÞreÞghters in Victoria, including 600
seasonal and about 320 permanent Þre
ighters within the DSE and Parks Victoria.
Cesar believes the only reason Victoria
is not suffering from a huge frontline
problem with regards to resources or
threats to workers’ compensation
CHANGES TO NSW WORKERS’
COMPENSATION
Five of the most dramatic changes ◊ Reduction in weekly payments after
that could apply to National Parks 13 weeks; these payments will generally
and Forestry members are:
cease two and a half years after the
◊ Removing virtually any right to make a injury. No coverage for medical expenses
journey claim relating to an injury suffered incurred from 12 months after weekly
while travelling to and from work.
payments have ceased.
◊ Removing ability to make permanent ◊ No ability for workers to recover
impairment claims unless the person legal costs from successful workers’
has greater than 10 per cent permanent compensation claims. So many injured
impairment.
workers will not be able to afford to
◊ Removal of compensation for pain and enforce their rights.
suffering arising from an injury.
STOP PRESS: See update on page 34
www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER 29