australasian organising conference may 2003 winning media campaigns with workers’ stories

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

Winning Media Campaigns With

WORKERS’ STORIES

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

The Union Message● Too many workers die because of work

● Our H&S law is not effective

● Work is safer and healthier when workers are involved

● We need a law which supports real worker participation

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

The Employer Message● Unions exaggerate the stats

● Our workplaces are safe

● Accidents are the worker’s fault

● Our health and safety law is OK

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

● Highlight fatality statistics

● Compare with comparable countries

● Explain the proposals

● Highlight workers’ stories

The Union Strategy

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

Telling Workers’ Stories

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

Darren Skeen’s story

Killed at work flushing out sewer lines on February 6, 1999.

New to the job, untrained in health and safety, unprepared and unprotected.

19 year old father, partner, son, brother, friend, team-mate, worker, union member.

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

The Mothers’ Stories

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

Mothers bring work deaths home

By MATHEW DEARNALEY

Three mothers - all with harrowing tales of the deaths of sons at work - left MPs charged with reviewing industrial safety rules in sombre mood in Auckland yesterday. The three, from different walks of life, found themselves with all too much in common delivering heart-rending submissions to Parliament's transport and industrial relations select committee. Their testimony left normally animated MPs from both sides of Parliament asking few questions. But they were unanimous in thanking the mothers for having the courage to appear before them to put a human dimension to proposed law changes. Each son was killed at what should have been the start of a long and productive working life, and the oldest was in his early 20s.

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

The World According to the Employers

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

Petunia Waaka’s Story

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

The Family’s Story

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

Nathan Whale’s Story

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003

Cazna Waaka’s Story

Australasian Organising Conference May 2003