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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-20 Daily Xml
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SAFEWORK SA

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Can the minister please advise the chamber about SafeWork SA's recent strategic intervention program targeting the poultry industry?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:39): I would like to thank the honourable member for her very important question. Back on 19 July I advised this chamber that SafeWork SA inspectors have recently been involved in targeted intervention strategies addressing health and safety and fair work issues in the poultry industry. On 2 April I had the honour to launch the poultry industry discussion paper, entitled 'Better jobs 4 better chicken', developed by the National Union of Workers.

This report highlighted that indirect employment methods in the poultry industry are often utilised, including cash-in-hand work, unfair or sham contracting, labour hire arrangements, and casual work. These indirect employment methods, along with associated inadequate induction, training and supervision of staff, have exposed many workers to serious risks of injury or death. This report followed a nationwide audit throughout Baiada Poultry Ltd's chicken processing facilities, conducted by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

That audit found that 112 workers were not receiving the correct wages and other conditions. Unfortunately, the NUW (National Union of Workers) report found that there are worrying signs that some of the country's leading poultry suppliers are sacrificing safety for higher profits. Many of the workers within the industry are untrained, overworked and undervalued. They work longer hours in potentially contaminated workplaces without the adequate training required to ensure that our food is safe to eat.

The report also found that the problems are exacerbated for cash-in-hand workers and sham contractors because they are rarely given training or the necessary support to ensure their own safety and that of others. These workers also did not receive other statutory entitlements, including personal and carer's leave, annual leave, superannuation or workers compensation insurance. Following the launch of this worrying report, SafeWork SA developed and implemented a state-based targeted intervention program focusing on the large poultry processing companies and their associated labour hire organisations in South Australia.

As part of the intervention program, SafeWork SA's occupational health and safety inspectors, industry advisers and industrial relations inspectors undertook site visits to poultry processing companies looking at safe and fair working conditions such as traffic management issues, including the loading and unloading of trucks; plant safety; packing line tasks—for example, manual handling, slips and falls; environmental conditions, including hours of work, appropriate lighting, etc.; training of staff, including inductions and supervision; and other employment conditions, including provisions for long service leave and other forms of leave.

I am pleased to advise this chamber that the outcomes of the South Australian audits have been assessed, and the results indicate a high level of compliance with occupational health and safety and industrial relations requirements, including the provision of long service leave. No major compliance gaps were identified to be the focus of any subsequent audits. All entities were cooperative and assisted SafeWork SA inspectors when required to ensure that they met their legislative obligations.

They demonstrated a commitment to occupational health and safety and industrial relations through close liaison with SafeWork SA. I commend these employers within the poultry industry in South Australia for their strong compliance with occupational health and safety and industrial relations obligations, particularly in comparison to some of their interstate counterparts. I encourage their continued cooperation with SafeWork SA to ensure ongoing compliance into the future.

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