Bob Brown Foundation protestors at the Artec woodchip mill in Tasmania
Forest & Wood Communities Australia is disappointed by the failure of a bill, which would have imposed tougher penalties on illegal workplace invasions, to get through the Tasmanian Legislative Council last week. The Workplaces (Protection from Protestors) Amendment Bill would have given peace of mind to the foresters who are affected by illegal workplace invasions which ultimately take money out of the family kitty. Source: Timberbiz
‘“These invasions are conducted by corporate activist organisations who pay people to travel from interstate and then cover the costs of the often-insignificant penalties,” said Forest & Wood Communities Australia managing director Justin Law.
“One organisation even has an activist exchange program, so it’s not about making a point, it’s about generating outrage for income.
“A stronger deterrent, such as this Bill, would short circuit this cynical exploitation of our right to protest which should be preserved.”
Mr Law said he hoped both major parties would come together and put their strong common positions on unlawful invasions into solving the serious issues caused in workplaces.
“There are existing laws which are not being upheld by WorkSafe Tasmania which has an obligation to act on dangerous behaviour in the workplace,” he said.
“These invasions are conducted by corporate activist organisations and that makes them responsible for the safety of the people acting on their behalf.
“Yet we see unqualified workplace invaders climbing to great heights in old unsafe trees and on structures which have no engineering certification and on unsecured log piles and on machinery while it is in operation.
“These are serious breaches which attract heavy penalties, apparently for anyone other than an activist.
“The real cost is on the forest families who bear the brunt of loss of wages and the anxiety caused by the potential disaster these activists create.
“It’s time WorkSafe stopped protecting these illegal invaders and started protecting our forest communities.”
