Yesterday, the Government announced a review of rules and regulations for the use of agricultural vehicles, including working-time regulations, requirements for safety inspections of farm vehicles and the relaxing the restrictions on the use and standards of farm vehicles. They told us they have been listening to the industry.
But wait, hasn’t the Minister of Labour identified the agriculture sector as one of her “priority sectors” for action and resources in her Health and Safety Action Agenda? And rightly so, because farm vehicle accidents account for 23% of work related deaths and injuries in New Zealand.
Now the lowly-ranked Associate Minister of Transport (outside Cabinet) describes safety rules for agricultural and farm vehicles as “red tape”. Yep, he mentions the safety of the public, but not the workers. That, to me, says a lot about the Government’s attitude to workers’ health and safety. Sure, the farmers want to get their crops in on time. But I’m just as sure that the workers would like to work reasonable hours for fair pay and not have to put their life and those of others on the line.
We’re not talking unreasonable rules here. 13 hour days – just one break after 5.5 hours – no rights to breaks, and most employed as contractors, which means few rights in law.
The families whose loved ones have been affected by accidents in this industry because of short cuts, long working hours, a lack of rights and cutting corners will not see these regulations as “red tape” or too “inflexible” as the contractors have described them.
The question is: has the Minister of Labour been shafted again? Was she consulted about this review?
Just another example where the health and safety of workers has become a “nice to have” for this Government.
Not a very ladylike headline Darien.
Sorry Kate – didn’t mean you of course. I’m an innocent on innuendo. But ladylike? Not me.
Apology accepted. I’m shafted daily. It’s called working.
@Cactus : lol.
Safety ??
I read between the lines to see $$$$.
Somehow they arent spending too much time ‘on the roads’.
Whats the bet they dont want to pay for a years registration.
Considering all of us subsidise little used rural roads they should be lucky they arent paying much more. More shafting coming up – as Charlie Sheen used to say.
With the review being completed ‘early next year’ ( a record?) sounds like the answers have been found before they started. Or could it be the ‘contractors’ have bought a change in policy or at least a review for their donations to the national party
Yes.
This National Government is making ‘shafting’ a fine, well practised art form.
CK – obviously you never worked on a farm, shafted is posh talk where I come from.
23% seems strange, road toll, suicides and old age I thought would have had a higher percentage.
Yet again we see Nationals women cabinet members are Stepford Wives- all very submissive and docile.
Tolley had to be ‘rescued’ from the Tertiary education portfolio because her limited intellectual capacities were glaringly obvious to those running the tertiary institutions
“farm vehicle accidents account for 23% of deaths and injuries in New Zealand.”
I doubt 23% of the country have even worked on a farm. This figure is bogus.
@Thomas and hellonearthis : it’s obvious from the post and the link to the DOL (if you had bothered to look) that I am referring to workplace accidents and injuries. I’ve changed it to make it easier for you to understand.