29 September 2005 Penrith widow slams Howard’s IR changes More than 150 building workers on the Penrith Plaza project were addressed today by a South Penrith widow who said that new workplace laws will reduce safety and put lives at risk Marlene Shores, whose husband Ron was killed on the $680 million dollar Baulderstone Hornebrook Cross City tunnel in July last year said that her husbands death was caused by safety shortcuts designed to increase profit, and that the situation would worsen under these new laws. “The changes to the workplace laws that are currently being forced onto Australian workers by the Howard Government will worsen workplace safety and put more lives at risk,” she said. “These laws restrict union official’s ability to enter dangerous workplaces and inspect safety, and the abolition of unfair dismissal laws mean that for many workers raising serious safety concerns with management or the union may cost them their job. “Ron’s death should never have happened. He should have been able to go to work that day and come back home alive, yet poor safety meant that he was killed at the age of 43 and left behind me, his two beautiful daughters and a loving family who will never stop missing him. “I’d like to challenge John Howard and Jackie Kelly to work in a tunnel or a construction site for a week and then tell us that safety is not important and that trade union officials should be stopped from going into dangerous workplaces and cracking down on safety problems. “All Australian workers need to stand together and make sure Howard does not get away with his plans to force workers onto individual contracts, to restrict union right of entry, and to attack workers who demand a just and safe workplace.” Local CFMEU organiser Mark Sutcliffe said no one understood the importance of workplace safety like the families of workers killed. “Every week in the building industry another worker dies,” he said. “Enough is enough: the Howard Government needs to stop wasting money fighting unions and start working with workers and the community to save lives and make sure people come home to their families alive at night.” Media contact: Tim Vollmer (CFMEU Media Officer) 0404 273 313 Mark Sutcliffe (CFMEU Penrith Organiser) 0409 031 773 [ more news ]