WA’s older workers to benefit
Older workers in Western Australia will benefit in more ways than one after aged-based discrimination in the state’s workers’ compensations laws was last week abolished. The announcement came after Commerce Minister, Simon O’Brien, revealed the workers’ compensation scheme would no longer limit entitlements to injured workers aged 64 years and older.
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Older workers in Western Australia will benefit in more ways than one after aged-based discrimination in the state’’ workers’ compensations laws was last week abolished.
The announcement came after Commerce Minister, Simon O’Brien, revealed the workers’ compensation scheme would no longer limit entitlements to injured workers aged 64 years and older.
According to Mr O’Brien, workers in this age group had always been entitled to workers’ compensation, but were only entitled to a maximum of 12 months of weekly income payments.
“That time limit has [now] been scrapped,” Mr O’Brien confirmed.
Council on the Ageing (COTA) WA told DPS News it welcomes the amendments to the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act that will remove its age discriminatory provisions.
“This is a big win for older workers,” COTA WA chief executive, Ken Marston, said.
“Not before time, the state government has recognised that older workers should not be discriminated against. We have lobbied for these changes since 2002, when I first went to see our Commissioner for Equal Opportunities about the issue.
“The WA economy certainly needs every worker it can get, and removing age discrimination will encourage them to continue working a little longer. This is a win for older workers, government, employers and the whole community,” Mr Marston added.
He encouraged other states and territories and the federal government to examine their workers’ compensation legislation to match the latest WA initiative.
Another significant change which will see older West Australian workers benefit was that those who suffered work-related hearing loss after the age of 65 year would be eligible to make a workers’ compensation claim on the “same basis as everybody else”.
“These changes promote equality in the workplace and the opportunity to continue working past 65 years,” Mr O’Brien said.
The amendments took effect on 1 October 2011.
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