Workers’ Compensation

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 196, 17 May 1944, Page 6

Workers’ Compensation

Sir, —Since June, 1901. when the Workers’ Compensation Act became law, it has been frequently ineffective and useless. For over 42 years it was not cotripulsory for employers to take insurance protection against the many risks. This has not mattered so much when the employer of the injured worker has been able to pay the claim, though as the records show in some cases the employer has been made bankrupt through the claim. However, the majority of employers cannot without insurance meet such claims wholly or in part. Every year since 1901. there have been many large claims unpaid through lack of this insurance. In some cases the injured worker has taken over the business, such as it was, and found the business worth less than his claim. Any lawyer of long practice and in a big way has met unpaid claimants for whom he could do nothing. Just over two years ago I decided that this ineffective law must be put right. I called on the president of the Labour Party, today standing for the Wellington mayoralty, who astounded me by saying that the Government had put it right the previous year. I supplied him with ample evidence showing his error, hoping that he would be delighted to secure justice, as already provided in the original Act, for all suffering workers. Apparently he did nothing. I then wrote to two Cabinet Ministers, stressing the serious position. One, now Minister in charge of insurance, replied that "it was to be regretted that many laws were not as good as they should be, but it was to be hoped that they would be put right in time.” Parliament met later, but nothing was done. Seeing clearly that highly-paid elected public men were utterly indifferent to the losses and sufferings of the victims of industrial accidents, I decided to force the position. At my own expense in 1943 I wrote to every man in both Houses of Parliament, exposing the position. This action was greatly helped by “Truth,” which published the letter. Later that session the amending Act I required was passed and became law on 1/11/43. Due entirely to the neglect of the Government, however, the position is very little better than previously. This urgent law should well before it came into force have been given the greatest publicity in all public buildings, the Press, and over the air. This was not done, and almost all of the thousands of unprotected workers and employers remain much as they Were before. Meantime, Government penalties or fines running up to over £lOO are accumulating against every unprotected employer. However, these cannot be enforced till he is caught, which he probably will not be till a serious accident happens, when he will be found unable to pay both the penalty and the accident claim. In Queensland, as in many other countries, they know’ how to make workers’ compensation compulsory and 100 per cent, beneficial. An easy way still remains for the Government to put matters right. Today inspectors visit many employers to see if the latter have paid the .Social and National Security taxes deducted from employees’ wages. Every srh inspector should be required to see and record the workers’ compensation insurance, if in force or non-existent. —I am, etc., H. H. THOMPSON. Wellington, May 13.