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Everyone has the right to dignity and respect at work, and to a safe and healthy working environment. Bullying can happen to anyone, although young workers, apprentices and trainees; women, older workers; and people of non-English speaking background may be more vulnerable.
Bullying at work is an occupational health and safety (OHS) issue. Under OHS law, workers have the right to a safe and healthy working environment, and employers have the legal duty to protect the health and safety of workers. This means that employers must not cause or allow bullying to happen at their workplaces. Surveys by the ACTU and others show that employers, managers or supervisors are most often the people doing the bullying of workers.
If bullying is happening in your workplace, there are ways to deal with it:
The first step is talk it with your fellow workers - it is very likely that if you feel your are being bullied, other people at work may also be. Involve the health and safety representative, the health and safety committee, and / or the union delegate or shop steward at your workplace. They should be trained to deal with health and safety and other work issues. If there is no health and safety representative, union delegate, or health and safety committee at your workplace, it might be a good time for the workers to elect them as your representatives.
If the bullying problem has been raised with the employer or management and cannot be solved at the workplace, or if the employer or manager is the bully, a union organiser or health and safety officer may be able to help. The health and safety representative or union delegate can contact the union on behalf of employees. This may include arranging for a union official to visit the workplace.
Bullying at work should not be tolerated.
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