Labour notes

Fifteen workers undertaking maintenance work at the Liddell 
power station in the Hunter Valley stopped work after they were 
exposed to asbestos dust. While NSW WorkCover has issued 
rectification notices against HIS, the contractor that employs 
the workers has obtained an order from the Australian Industrial 
Relations Commission requiring the men to go back to work. 
Macquarie Generation, the Government owned entity that runs the 
plant, has also refused to make up lost pay, calling it illegal 
strike pay. The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union who covers 
the workers has filed an application to overturn the Commission's 
order and called for a state-wide audit of all power stations to 
identify hidden asbestos. The NSW Government could, but so far 
has not, stepped in to ensure the health and safety of the 
workers.

* * *

A report before the Western Australian Worksafe Commission has 
recommended a set of guidelines limiting the amount of hours and 
consecutive shifts to be worked in industries where there are 
around the clock operations. The guidelines if approved by the WA 
Government, would apply to hospitals, manufacturing industries, 
hotels and the mining industry. Some of the recommendations 
include restricting workers to maximum eight-hour shifts (on 
night shift). Others include workers only working to a maximum of 
seven days on eight-hour day shifts or six days on 10-hour and 
12-hour shifts. Another recommendation is that workers on evening 
eight-hour shifts must complete travel to and from work within 13 
hours. In supporting the need for some of the recommendations WA 
Minister for Consumer and Employment Protection cited a case of a 
mining contractor that forced workers to endure 12-hour shifts 
for 13 weeks without time off.

* * *

The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union has come to a 
national in-principle enterprise agreement with packaging 
manufacturer Visy, although National Secretary Doug Cameron said 
the deal was still subject to final agreement on some lesser 
matters. Visy and the printing division of the AMWU had been in 
and out of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission for 
some months. Visy had previously offered workers $1000 incentives 
not to support a national deal. If approved the deal would cover 
600 workers across 13 sites in four states. The union is now 
looking towards national agreements with other packaging 
companies, Amcor, and Carter Holt and Harvey.