The IEU’s first Workplace Health and Safety for IEU Reps training was held on 2 May at the Wattle St office.
Workplace health and safety for reps
This coincided with a visit by Bono, a guest of APHEDA. Bono, the General Secretary of SERBUK, an Indonesian trade union based in West Java, had come to Australia in support of the ‘Asbestos Not Here Not Anywhere’ campaign.
Reps at the training were able to hear first hand the damage asbestos is inflicting on workers in Indonesia. Bono, himself, has developed asbestosis after working 15 years for a roofing company.
Reps also got to hear about the role of unions in developing Workplace Health and Safety laws and a little of the legislation itself.
Most importantly, reps learnt of the importance of having a trained Health and Safety Rep (HSR) in their workplace and the role WHS can play in organising at the school level.
Evaluations of the training were overwhelmingly positive and it is hoped that we will be able to run further days in both metro and regional areas.