Psychologically injured workers who are close to catatonic will have their support payments cut under new laws agreed to between the Government and the Liberals and Nationals.
Despite repeated evidence that a WPI of more than 21% means a worker has no capacity to work, the Parliament looks set to raise the threshold for income support to 25%, before ratcheting up to 28 per cent by 2029.
"The parliament has failed to deliver meaningful reform. Instead, it has taken a sledgehammer to the entitlements of traumatised and vulnerable workers," said Thomas Costa, acting Secretary of Unions NSW.
Under the changes, the chief psychiatrist will develop a new tool for measuring the severity of psychological injuries.
"It is counter-intuitive to cut support while at the same time developing a new tool to diagnose the severity of injuries. Why wouldn't you introduce the new diagnostic tool and then reassess? We are thoroughly disappointed by this deal between the Government and Opposition which forces traumatised workers to pay for the problems in the scheme."
"Now that the Liberals have returned to form, prevention of psychological injury must become the overwhelming priority. With the parliament set to kick injured workers off support, it is absolutely vital we prevent them getting injured in the first place."
Unions NSW and the Union Movement commends those members of the NSW Parliament who have have maintained their principled opposition to any increase in the whole-person-impairment thresholds.
