Zero Occupational Cancer Workshop

The international union campaign for 2008 was Zero Occupational Cancer (ZOC).
 
The Panel of speakers for this workshop were:
  • Phillip Hazelton - National OHS Co-ordinator, Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union(AMWU). (Phillip Hazelton is now working overseas in foreign development)
  • Martin Kingham - National Assistant Secretary Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Construction Division (Martin Kingham has now retired)
  • Tony Medina - the Alimta campaign (Tony Medina died from mesothelioma, on 23 December 2008.   He was 43 years old.)
The key points raised by Phillip Hazelton:
  • Occupational related cancer is the biggest workplace killer globally and in Australia
  • Yet it has no profile and little government or industry attention
  • The real level of risk is deliberately downplayed
  • The AMWU has joined the global unions' Zero Occupational Cancer Campaign this year.  It has developed an Australian version of the International Metalworkers' FederationOccupational cancer/Zero Cancer: A union guide to prevention.  It can also be downloaded on the right hand side of this page.
  • ACTU will make the ZOCC the key union campaign for 2008
  • Ideas and recommendations from the workshop can feed into that campaign
(download Phillip's Powerpoint presentation - A Union Guide to Prevention)
 
Participants at the 'Zero Occupational Cancer Campaign' workshop also raised a number of issues, supporting the inclusion of a number of aspects in the campaign. These included support for the  Alimta campaign, and an effective, funded National Mesothelioma Register.

Last amended February 2015