Documents Quinlan, Michael 33 results

"This paper explores the practice of worker representation coalmining in Australia, in which there are both serious risks to health and safety and where regulatory provisions on worker representation on health and safety are longstanding. Despite their longevity, their operation has been little studied. The aim of the paper is to address this gap by examining the quality of the practice of worker representation in the sector. In particular, it explores strategies used by representatives to undertake their role in the context of the hostile industrial relations that are characteristic of coalmining. It examines documentary records of statutory inspections by worker representatives and government mines inspectors and analyses the content of qualitative interviews. It finds that the representatives address serious and potentially fatal risks in their activities and make effective use of their statutory powers in doing so, including their power to suspend operations they deem to be unacceptably dangerous. Nevertheless, they strive to operate within the boundaries of regulation in order to offset the negative influences of a hostile labour relations climate, As well as cautious use of their powers to order the cessation of operations where they deem the risks to be unacceptable, they also avoid accusations of unnecessarily impeding production and engaging with labour relations matters that are outside their statutory remit, through good communication between themselves and other workplace representatives. This is made possible by support from the relatively high level of workplace trade union organization present in the mines and further support derived from the trade union more widely and from the unique two-tier form of representation provided for by legislation. Both ensure the representatives are well informed, well trained and supported in their role. Overall, the study highlights the positive role representatives and unions play in preventive health and safety even in hostile labour relations climates."

"In the past 15 years the notions of systematic OHS management and OHS management systems have gained wide currency amongst regulators, employers and other parties in advanced industrialised countries. Indeed, these related but distinct concepts are now also finding their way into developing countries. Inducing employers to take a comprehensive, programmatic and preventive responsibility for OHS rather than just prescribing specific solutions has emerged as a major new regulatory strategy and this approach has also been voluntarily assumed by an increasing number of (generally large) organisations. Government methods to promote OHSM as well as the form and content of both these and voluntary management systems vary widely.
There has been little attempt to critically assess the developments just described, let alone compare different forms of OHSM, examine the problems of implementing these policies or identify their strengths and limitations. This book seeks to address this gap. With diverse contributions from leading experts in Europe, America and Australasia, the book examines the origins, development, application and value of OHSM, as well as providing an international perspective on their effectiveness in managing ill-health at work. It also examines the impact of recent changes in economic, labour market, organisational and regulatory structures."

A research study was designed to shed light on the impact of the outsourcing of labour on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) indices. Over 250 workers in Child Care, Hospitality, Transport and Building were interviewed and completed a questionnaire. After collation of the data, direct comparisons between the self-employed/subcontract and employee workers were made. It was found that in situations where the outsourcing of labour has become common, working conditions generally - as well as OHS - deteriorated for both the subcontract and the employee workers. At the same time, the OHS of self-employed workers was placed even more at risk. A number of recommendations have been made which could control the negative OHS consequences from the outsourcing of labour.

"... Indeed, the contribution of precarious work and the informal sector to exacerbating the pandemic and rendering societies more vulnerable has largely escaped detailed scrutiny or policy debate globally. COVID-19 has highlighted a number of structural problems as well as the need to learn from the past. It affords an opportunity for an evidence-driven policy re-set with regard to the primacy of health infrastructure/goals, reintegrating work and public health, and policies to reshape work arrangements. The pandemic is also a warning signal as it is unlikely to be the last major global disaster/catastrophe experienced in coming decades. Climate change, environmental degradation, and habitat loss interacting with rising economic inequality and ongoing structural racism will see to that."

"This special Themed Collection of The Economic and Labour Relations Review examines the ‘Economics of Occupational Health and Safety' (OHS). The economics of OHS looks at how economic structures and incentives, including labour markets and production processes, influence the health and wellbeing of workers and the communities where they live. It is a large and diverse subject that has been viewed from multiple different lenses. This thematic issue can only touch on some of these but will remind readers how economic incentives and industrial competitive pressures affect OHS. This editorial will take the form of an article which explores some of these intersections and places them in a wider context. To do this, the economics of OHS will not only be examined in terms of economic welfare and microeconomics at the industry and workplace level, but also from an historical perspective, as well as the intersection of these levels, thus providing a useful framework to shape research and discussion."

"The growth of supply chains, which often entail elaborate national and international networks of subcontracting, have posed significant challenges for controlled occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards. This includes the growth of dependent forms of self-employed subcontracted work, temporary agency work, franchising and other non-employment work arrangements. There is also a growing informal sector (in agriculture and construction) relying on temporary or undocumented migrants."

"La croissance des chaînes d'approvisionnement, qui s'appuient souvent sur des réseaux nationaux et internationaux de sous-traitance complexes, impose des défis majeurs au contrôle des risques pour la santé et la sécurité au travail (SST). Elle s'accompagne d'un développement de formes subordonnées de travail indépendant en sous-traitance, du travail intérimaire, du franchisage et d'autres régimes de travail non salarié. On assiste également à la progression d'un secteur informel, reposant sur des travailleurs immigrés intérimaires ou non déclarés."

"The past 40 years have witnessed significant changes to work arrangements globally. Overall, the changes have been characterised by less contract duration and job security, more irregular working hours (both in terms of duration and consistency), increased use of third parties (temporary employment agencies), growth of various forms of dependent self-employment (like subcontracting and franchising) and also bogus/informal work arrangements (i.e. arrangements deliberately outside the regulatory framework of labour, social protection and other laws)."

"Work organisation has well-established associations with health. This study compares the associations of Pressure, Disorganisation and Regulatory Failure (PDR) and effort–reward imbalance (ERI) with health and well-being among older workers. Participants were 714 Australian workers aged 45–65 (56.3% female), with a mean age of 54.6 years (SD = 5.0) and a mean of 34.7 working hours per week (SD = 13.9). Hierarchical regression analyses tested the strengths of the associations of both ERI and PDR with work–life conflict and mental health. Independent variables were entered in blocks: demographic characteristics (age and gender), working hours and then ERI or PDR (measured using the four subscales: financial pressure, reward pressure, disorganisation and regulatory failure). Compared to ERI, the PDR subscales collectively accounted for slightly less variance in work–life conflict and slightly more variance in mental health. The PDR subscales also accounted for extra variance in both dependent variables when ERI was included in the model. These findings indicate that PDR is a promising construct that includes elements of work organisation not addressed by ERI."