Unions Tasmania today welcomed the release of Labors Better Jobs and Employment policy, praising it for committing to address critical issues for Tasmanian workers such as job security, underemployment and wage theft.

Unions Tasmania also welcomes the strong focus on workplace safety including a commitment to introduce industrial manslaughter in the first year of government.

Unions Tasmania and its affiliates have been campaigning for Jobs You Can Count On which seeks to highlight concerns the community has about casualisation, underemployment, cuts to penalty rates, and essential public services like health and education, said Jessica Munday, Unions Tasmania Secretary.

The commitments from the Labor Party today show that they have listened to workers and their unions and they are prepared to ensure that Tasmanians have not just more but better jobs, said Unions Tasmania Secretary, Jessica Munday.

We also welcome the strong focus on health and safety with commitments to introduce presumptive Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) legislation for frontline responders and workers exposed to high levels of trauma as well as reviewing workers compensation step down provisions across the public service.

Workplace fatalities shatter families. We should be doing everything we can to prevent families suffering the trauma of a loved one being killed at work. Unions have led the campaign for industrial manslaughter and are pleased to see a Labor Government would make workplace safety a priority, said Ms Munday.

Unions Tasmania is now calling on Premier Hodgman and the Tasmanian Liberals to outline how they will deliver jobs Tasmanians can count on.

The pressure is on the Tasmanian Liberals to release their policies on these issues. We need to look behind the headline unemployment rate and address underemployment. We need action on job security, wages growth and penalty rates. The Liberals have been silent on these key issues and its not good enough, Ms Munday said.

Unions Tasmania is hosting a State Election forum on Monday the 19th of February at 6pm and has invited political leaders to attend so they can outline how their party will deliver more and better jobs for Tasmanians.

For further information: Jessica Munday, Secretary, 0417 454 809

Unions Tasmania welcomes Labors Better Jobs and Employment policy.pdf