03.50 am, Tuesday February 14 2012

Stop dangerous insulation scheme: unions

15:19 AEDT Mon Nov 30 2009
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ACTU president Sharan Burrow
ACTU president Sharan Burrow is calling for a halt to the insulation program for safety reasons.

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Unions are demanding an immediate halt to the government's insulation rebate program after the deaths of three workers, most recently a 19-year-old on his first day on the job.

The ACTU also wants an overhaul of safety, training and licensing standards, as well as an official inquiry.

Home owners can claim up to $1600 to offset the cost of ceiling batts under a $3.9 billion program unveiled in the stimulus package earlier this year.

But the ACTU says the program is rife with dishonest operators cutting corners on safety and training in order to reap the government windfall.

Three men have died while installing batts since October 14 - two by electrocution and one from heat stress.

"Shonky operators that are putting lives at risk should be driven out of the industry," ACTU president Sharan Burrow said.

She blamed the government for fast-tracking its stimulus programs and allowing workers to bare the brunt of poor planning.

Installing ceiling insulation was a dangerous job and the government should commit to improving the program, which still has two years to run, she said.

 
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