2024-02-06
The Victorian Greens have called on the Victorian Labor Government to scrap their harmful WorkCover bill and go back to the drawing board, rather than team up with the Liberals to push it through.
The Greens say the current bill would push workers into poverty, emergency departments, and an overstretched mental health system.
Over the summer break, the Victorian Parliament’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee began hearings into the bill after its passage was delayed as a result of Greens pressure.
Yet despite the Committee hearing damning evidence about the impact the bill would have on workers, Labor and the Liberals teamed up to prevent the final report recommending the bill be shelved.
Victorian Greens industrial relations spokesperson, Sam Hibbins, said the Greens wouldn’t support a bill that screwed over Victorian workers.
He said any WorkCover reforms should be focused on better supporting injured workers and improving workplace practices, not rushing through legislation that pulled the rug out from underneath them.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens industrial relations spokesperson, Sam Hibbins MP:
"Labor’s changes to WorkCover will screw workers over.
“They will push injured workers into poverty, emergency departments, and an already overstretched mental health system.
“Yet despite damning evidence heard against these changes, Labor and the Liberals have teamed up to keep this bill alive.
“They need to withdraw this anti-worker bill and go back to the drawing board.”