Article 21 of the ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention 1981 (C155) recognises that co-operation between management and workers and/or their representatives is essential in ensuring health and safety at the workplace. Trade unions have an important role, mandated by Australian OHS laws, in representing workers on OHS issues. A number of studies have found that better OHS standards may be achieved in unionised workplaces than in non-unionised ones.64 There is evidence that the effective participation of workers in OHS issues is essential to improving OHS performance and that this is enhanced where worker representatives are supported by trade unions.65 However, Australian trade union membership has declined steadily since the early 1980s. In 1986, 46 per cent of Australian employees (or 2.6 million) were trade union members; by 2007 the unionisation rate had declined to 19 per cent (or 1.7 million employees).66
In 2007, a higher proportion of full-time employees were trade union members than part-time employees (21 per cent compared with 14 per cent), as were public sector employees compared to those in the private sector (41 per cent compared with 14 per cent).67
A number of comparable industrialised countries have also had similar experiences to Australia in having a pattern of decline in the levels of trade union membership. When compared with Australia’s 15 per cent decline in trade union membership over the period 1993-2003, Ireland (12 per cent decline) and New Zealand (12 per cent decline) have experienced declines of a similar scale. 68 On the other hand, in 2003, rates of trade union membership were significantly higher in Sweden (78 per cent), Finland (74 per cent), Denmark (70 per cent) and Norway (53 percent).69
Although the economic costs of workplace injury and illness to the Australian economy are difficult to quantify, they are undoubtedly very high. A 2004 report estimated the cost for 2000-01 to be $34.3 billion.70 This was equivalent to five per cent of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the 2000-01 financial year.71
In 2005-06, 270 Australians died as a result of a work-related injury.72 It is estimated that more than 2000 Australians die each year as a result of a work-related disease.73 Each year over 140,000 people are compensated for injuries resulting in one or more weeks off work and in 2005-06, nearly 400,000 people reported that they had suffered a work-related injury or illness that resulted in some time off work.74
The National OHS Strategy provides the framework that Australia’s OHS regulators use to co-ordinate efforts to improve OHS outcomes for Australian workplaces. It sets the following targets:
a reduction in the incidence of workplace injury by at least 40 per cent by 30 June 2012 (with a reduction of 20 per cent being achieved by 30 June 2007); and
a sustained significant, continual reduction in the incidence of work-related fatalities with a reduction of at least 20 per cent by 30 June 2012 (and with a reduction of 10 per cent being achieved by 30 June 2007).
By 30 June 2007, there had been a 16 per cent reduction in the incidence of workplace injury since the Strategy was developed. This is below the 20 per cent reduction required to meet the interim target and a greater rate of improvement will be needed if Australia is to achieve a 40 per cent reduction by 2012.
The incidence of workplace injury fatalities also decreased by 16 per cent between 2002 and June 2007.75 This surpasses the interim target of 10 per cent and promises to meet the 20 per cent reduction required by 2012. There is however, a considerable amount of volatility in this measure and continuing improvement is required.
The National OHS Strategy also includes an aspirational target for Australia to have the lowest work-related traumatic injury fatality rate in the world by 2009. Analysis of international data indicates that, in 2006–07, Australia recorded the sixth lowest work-related traumatic injury fatality rate. While the gap between Australia and the better performing countries has reduced, it is unlikely that Australia will meet the aspirational goal unless substantial improvements are recorded in the next two years. It should be noted that due to differences in scope and methodology, comparisons of occupational injury fatalities data between countries have many limitations.76
