Work Cover Asked for Assistance in Immplementing CSU WHS Processes

Posted 20 June 2012 by Kevin Poynter (Charles Sturt University)

The NTEU continues to work to ensure that CSU staff have an effective Work Health and Safety Structure that provides them with reasonable access to health and safety representatives who can address safety concerns in their work area.

Despite ongoing discussions on Work Health and Safety (WHS) representative structure and a clear request from the NTEU to involve all stakeholders in these discussions, CSU management have opened nominations for new Health and Safety Zone Representatives.

Outstanding matters include how Health and Safety Zone representatives will be elected, the number of representatives to receive training and whether Health and Safety Committee representatives will have the same powers under the new legislation as Health and Safety Representatives.The NTEU wrote to management objecting, amongst many issues, to the advice to Presiding Officers that Health and Safety representatives would be elected from Health and Safety Committee members, both employee and employer representatives, when clearly Health and Safety Representatives should be nominated and elected from staff.

Following these developments and consultation with OH&S Staff Representatives, and other stakeholders, the NTEU (in conjunction with the CPSU) has contacted WorkCover to seek its assistance to resolve these issues. The texte of the letter is below: