July 26, 2018
Unions welcome Mansfield Review findings on Return to Work Act
SA Unions has today welcomed the findings of Justice Mansfield in his review of the Return to Work Actbut are disappointed that growing profits from the scheme aren’t being turned into more support for injured South Australians.
State Secretary Joe Szakacs (pron sock-arch)says that the review, tabled by the State Government today, was a measured response and that Justice Mansfield has rejected the outrageous attempts by some stakeholders who had been lobbying to slash and burn workers’ benefits.
"Their campaign is more outrageous considering the scheme is currently 20% overfunded and is delivering a profit to government each year.
"Some of those organisations who made submissions to the review tried to use it as a chance to get stuck in to injured workers once more by further cutting the benefits paid to them when they’re injured.
"But Justice Mansfield has refused to entertain those options.
"As Justice Mansfield notes in his review, a pending Supreme Court decision could have flow on effects to the payments of injured workers which might have to mean amendments to the Return to Work legislation.
"Unions will be carefully watching to see that worker’s rights continue to be protected and we will continue to fight for profits to go back into support for injured workers, not the Treasury’s coffers."
Joe Szakacs is available on 0413 486 235 ---
