research shows harmful mining hours

Date: 19 September 2002

A comprehensive report into the extended shifts in the Tasmanian mining industry released today has confirmed Australian Workers' Union fears that miners are working excessive hours.

The ACIRRT report commissioned by the Tasmanian Government supports AWU concerns that Tasmanian mining workers are working an average 56-hour week, and it's adversely affecting their health and well being.

AWU national secretary Bill Shorten said the report of more than 1000 workers and stakeholders was damning of the Tasmanian mining sector. "The report gives weight to AWU and community concerns that the demanding rosters and shiftwork of Tasmanian miners is significantly harmful,'' he said.

"The report has found evidence that these unfriendly work hours has caused workers to suffer problems such as sleep deprivation, fatigue, impaired performance at work and major disruption to their family and personal lives,'' he said. "It's a sharp contradiction to the mining industry's claims that Tasmanian miners' hours are safe,'' Mr Shorten said.

"This report is a wake-up call to the mining industry to reform its work practices and move into the third millennium.'' he said. "It is of great concern that these findings appear consistent with the working hours and patterns across the rest of Australia's metalliferous sector.''

He said the AWU, which represents metalliferous employees, would use the report to push for safer hours and reforms to industrial relations and occupational health and safety practices in Australian mining companies.

Mr Shorten is writing to every State Premier and Industry Minister seeking their support to follow the Tasmania example and investigate the rostered hours and work safety practices of mining companies in their state.

"The AWU congratulates the Tasmanian Government on investigating this growing problem of over-work in the mining sector. The AWU will not rest until we see a cut in working hours and greater regard to employee health and safety in Australian mines,'' he said.

Other report findings include:
· Most mining companies do not have sufficient health and safety systems in place
· 12-hour shifts and poorly designed rosters hurt employees' family life
· Current OH&S laws are unable to deal with problems created by changes in industrial relations laws
· Almost half of the respondents reported getting insufficient sleep when rostered to night shift; one in three complained of a lack of sleep when working dayshift. Half of the respondents reported "nodding off" at work.

For further information

Contact:	Andrea Carson
Union:	Australian Workers Union (National Office)
Phone:	039 3298733
Contact Mobile:	0407 041933
Fax:	03 9329 2871
Email:	awu@iprimus.com.au
WWW:	www.awu.net.au

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