GREENS MLC Mark Parnell has called for a scrapping of monopoly outsourcing of claims management for injured workers.
According to Parnell, the announcement is in response to the release of the Parliament's Statutory Authorities Review Committee inquiry into WorkCover.
"The Greens have been saying for a number of years now that the outsourcing of WorkCover's claims management is a failed experiment and must be reversed," Parnell said.
"Until WorkCover fixes up the poor management of injured workers, it will never get out of its financial mess.”
According to the Greens, when WorkCover announced the appointment of Employers Mutual Limited (EML) as its sole outsourced claim agent, it promised the new arrangement would cut claims liability by up to $100m a year after only two years.
In 2008/09, EML is said to have given a $10,000 donation to the SA Labor Party.
"WorkCover promised the unfunded liability would drop after outsourcing to EML. Instead, it's only continued to climb," Parnell said.
"No amount of money donated to Labor should stop them being stripped of their monopoly claims management contract.
"WorkCover can no longer outsource this essential responsibility. The Greens call on WorkCover to take back claims management, and ensure there is a much greater focus on retaining and re-equipping of workers to enable them to return to productive work as quickly as possible.”
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