Smoke-free hospitality workplaces

Date: 31 May 2001

LHMU announces campaign for smoke-free hospitality workplaces
PASSIVE SMOKERS REGISTER PRECURSOR TO COMMON LAW ACTIONS
The union representing hospitality workers today launched a 'passive smoking register' as the first step in a public campaign to make hospitality workplaces smoke-free.

Around thirty thousand Victorians work at Crown Casino, city and suburban hotels and gaming venues across Victoria.

At least a third of them are members of the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU).

LHMU Victorian Branch Secretary Brian Daley said passive smoking was putting the health of these workers seriously at risk.

The LHMU, is supported by the Australian Medical Association Victoria and QUIT.

THE LHMU, in conjunction with prominent law firm Slater and Gordon, today announced the establishment of a register of workers as a first step in gathering case information for common law cases against employers who continually put their employees at risk.

The union has also announced it will provide hospitality employees with a medical reference kit to establish a comprehensive medical history of their smoking-related illnesses.

Mr Daley said the union is taking this course of action as a means of protecting the health and safety of members who are not included by the Victorian Government's smoke-free dining laws which come into effect on 1 July.

'In the wake of the recently successful NSW case where passive smoking was found to have caused a hospitality worker's cancer, insurance companies are going to be more cautious if they fear the prospect of common law cases based on extensively documented histories of hospitality workers affected by passive smoking at work,' he said.

' It is our aim to bring direct pressure on the insurance industry to stop offering workers compensation insurance to the hotels and gambling venues who will not introduce smokefree workplaces.'

New legislation banning smoking in all dining areas comes into force on July 1st this year.

This means no smoking in restaurants, hotel dining rooms and anywhere (including some bars) where dining is the primary activity.

Mr Daley said the Victorian Government's smoke-free dining laws did not acknowledge the risks of passive smoking to employees.

'The Government has said it has introduced this legislation for public health reasons. But it doesn't go far enough,' said Mr Daley.

'In places like pubs and clubs and Casinos, where many LHMU members work, people will still be able to smoke.

'LHMU members can no longer tolerate their exposure to passive smoking at work.

' It is a serious and potentially life threatening occupational health and safety issue."

Mr Daley said LHMU members feel very strongly about these issues and will campaign hard to make the Government listen.

'The LHMU has made a series of initiatives to try to press the Victorian Government to introduce comprehensive non-smoking legislation across the entire hospitality industry.

'Unfortunately the Government has not listened and the union is forced into taking its own initiative.

'This campaign is just beginning. LHMU members will not stop until they have succeeded in achieving smoke-free workplaces,' said Mr Daley.

The LHMU is already collecting the names of hospitality workers and over the coming weeks will begin approaching insurance companies warning them they face serious insurance losses if they continue to insure companies that are not smoke-free workplaces.

The LHMU calls on Victorian hospitality workers who feel their health has been affected by their exposure to passive smoking at their place of work to contact the union and register their case.

Media Note:

A media kit providing background information on the health effects of passive smoking is available from the LHMU.

Media inquiries:

Clare Curran 0417 101 370

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	8204 7206
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au/

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