Andrews Shafts Employee Safety

Kevin Andrews has moved to deny Federal Government employees representation on safety issues.

The Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Bill, which is set to be passed by the Coalition-controlled Senate, allows the employer to control the election of safety representatives.

Currently all employees elect their health and safety representatives in a union-run ballot.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow says the new legislation flew in the face of research which showed union involvement led to safer workplaces.

"Surveys have shown that unionised workplaces are three times as likely to have a health and safety committee, and twice as likely to have undertaken a health and safety audit in the last 12 months," she said.

Under the current act, the Commonwealth has a better safety record compared to all states and territories.

The Commonwealth OHS law has seen almost 30 per cent fewer injuries that result in a week or more compensation compared to NSW, according to a Workplace Relations & Management Consultants survey.

Burrow says there was no need to change the system. "The motivation for these changes is clearly ideological."