CODE 2, VOL 38, NO 10 : 29 april 2024

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAW CHANGES – UPDATE

The process of the amendments to the workers’ compensation legislation continues. I reported that I’d give you an update on aspects of the amendments beyond the extension of deemed diseases from 12 to 22.

Your union is making written (and likely verbal) submissions to the parliamentary committee reviewing the amendments proposed. When these are submitted, I will publish them to all members.

NEW DISEASE QUALIFYING PERIODS
The qualifying periods firefighters need to meet the deemed disease presumption of injury are –
Current list:
1. Multiple myeloma, 15 years
2. Primary site bladder cancer, 15 years
3. Primary site brain cancer, 5 years
4. Primary site breast cancer, 10 years
5. Primary site colorectal cancer, 15 years
6. Primary site kidney cancer, 15 years
7. Primary site leukaemia, 5 years
8. Primary site non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 15 years
9. Primary site oesophageal cancer, 15 years (changed from 25 years in the amendment Bill)
10. Primary site prostate cancer, 15 years
11. Primary site testicular cancer, 10 years
12. Primary site ureter cancer, 15 years
Additional coverage:
13. Asbestos related disease, 15 years
14. Malignant mesothelioma, 15 years
15. Primary site cervical cancer, 10 years
16. Primary site liver cancer, 15 years
17. Primary site lung cancer, 15 years
18. Primary site ovarian cancer, 10 years
19. Primary site pancreatic cancer, 10 years
20. Primary site penile cancer, 15 years
21. Primary site skin cancer, 15 years
22. Primary site thyroid cancer, 10 years

DAY WORK
Currently, the legislation excludes firefighters who spend long periods on 'day work’ during any qualifying period.  The amendments address this be introducing the concept of ‘relevant duties’ to the Act, meaning ‘day work’ stints will be included in qualifying period assessments.

SUITABLE DUTIES
For many years, those of you unfortunate enough to be on WorkCover have often complained about how poorly QFES manage suitable duties.

Pleasingly, the amendments propose that QFES will have to demonstrate to the satisfaction of WorkCover Queensland that there are no reasonable suitable duties, and WorkCover Queensland will have to be able to show they checked this was actually the case.

Your union will be able to push hard for injured members receiving actual suitable duties at their workplace, rather than being shuffled off by QFES to an op-shop or a hardware store because they can’t put together some reasonable suitable duties for you to do while you participate in the rehabilitation process.

UFUQ STILL THE ONLY ONE FIGHTING TO IMPROVE YOUR CONDITIONS
Throughout this process of improving your access to workers’ compensation and rehabilitation, only the UFUQ has provided any input. No one from any other union, and of course no one from QFES, has said a single word to the reviewers, the stakeholder group, or the parliament in the process of the amendments passing through the system. I remind you to ignore any commentary from fringe groups attempting to claim credit for something only the UFUQ is doing.

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY

Across the world, 28 April each year is marked as the World Day for Safety and Health and the Workers’ Memorial Day.

There is no doubt that this year, with the first anniversary of the loss of our colleague FF Nash coming up on 2 May, that each of us are taking a moment to remember Izzy Nash and her sacrifice, and to focus our efforts of fighting for our safety and the safety and health of every firefighter.

Workers’ Memorial Day gives us the opportunity to remember those we’ve lost, but also to focus on continuing the fight for the living!

Your union remembers FF Nash and will continue to fight in any way we can for the health and safety of every firefighter.

John Oliver - General Secretary