Workers Compensation is there to provide payment for workers, injured, killed or becoming ill due to a work related incident. Virgin wants to change what happens when you are injured at work.
If you are injured at work, you and your doctor make a decision to make a claim under your State Workers Compensation scheme. These schemes are very similar in most States and Territories and have been in place for many years. Virgin is considering changing this.
Why does Virgin want to change?
In a national meeting with the ASU and other unions, Virgin management advised that they had hired a consultant company and were considering the report the consultants provided as to the reasons why Virgin should change from a safe, well known and mostly reliable workers compensation system with checks and balances, to a system which for the most part is just cheaper and definitely not better.
Virgin wants to change to a system known as Comcare
Comcare was originally established in the 1980s to specifically cover Commonwealth public servants but more recently was opened up to national private sector employers as self-insurers. Virgin is not currently a self-insurer under any of the State schemes but is clearly attracted to Comcare as it has the lowest premiums of any State workers compensation scheme, the efficiency of one national scheme, and lure of self-management of claims.
So we believe at this time that the only reason Virgin wish to change systems is not to any benefit of the employee or better care if you are injured or sick (in fact some of the examples the ASU gave to management showed the exact opposite) but that the cost to the company is cheaper.
So while Virgin is cost cutting in many sensible ways (less water coolers, less hygienic desk wipes and less tissues), we don’t believe they should go for the cheapest option on your workers compensation insurance.
What next?
The ASU will participate in further meetings with the company and the ACTU to hear back from the company on the many issues raised with this significant change to this system.
Management agreed to provide further details on the questions raised by 8 March 2016 which has been received. The ASU is working with other unions to resist this change. Watch out for more details on what is happening and what you can do.
Time to join the ASU
Now more than ever is time to join the ASU - you can join online at https://www.asu.asn.au/asujoin
Want more information?
If you want more information contact your ASU organiser (download the full bulletin below for details).
Virgin Australia Bulletin - 6 April 2016