Union welcomes WorkCover super pay

Date: 17 June 2009

Victoria's Brumby Government reforms to pay superannuation contributions for injured workers and to increase WorkCover payments by 5% are welcome improvements, AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Melhem said today.

The changes announced today by Premier John Brumby and Finance Minister Tim Holding mean that WorkCover will pay 9% super guarantee contributions for new claimants if they receive payments for more than a year.

In addition, WorkCover payments to injured workers who are already in the scheme will rise from 75% to 80% of their previous income.

Brumby  Gvt first in the country

"The Brumby Government is the first in the country to take action against the long-standing unfairness to injured workers who do not receive their legislated employer superannuation contributions," Mr Melhem said today.

"The failure to pay superannuation has been a disturbing anomaly in Australian workers compensation insurance schemes for too long, and the Victorian Government can take credit for leading the way forward."

Other improvements welcome with changes to Compo law

Mr Melhem said other improvements for new WorkCover claimants announced today are also welcome, in particular:

• doubling shift and overtime allowance periods from 26 weeks to 52 weeks;

• increasing the maximum cut-off threshold for weekly payments;

• nearly doubling lump sum death benefits to $480,000; and

• increasing impairment lump sum benefits, including for stress (up from $11,000 to $66,000 for a 30% impairment) and spinal injuries (up 10%).

MEDIA CONTACTS

For information: AWU Media Officer Jeremy Vermeesch - mobile 0431 942 977

For further information

Contact:	Cesar Melhem, Branch Secretary
Union:	AWU Victoria
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au/

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