Rebate policy criticised

Press, 9 April 1981, Page 24

Rebate policy criticised

PA Wellington The president of the Federation of Labour, Mr W. J. Knox, has taken issue with the Accident Compensation Commission’s policy of giving rebates to employers with good industrial-accident records. Mr Knox said that there was no evidence that rebates decreased the number of industrial accidents. The rebates were calculated in a way which discriminated against small employers, and gave them less chance of getting rebates than bigger employers. Trade unions, too, were crying out for funds for essential health and safety work, he said.

The rebate last year was $1 million. “It is not known how much will be given away this year,” Mr Knox said. “It is ironic that this is occurring when the accident compensation scheme, one of the cheapest in the world is about to be cut back by the Accident Compensation (No. 2) Bill,” Mr Knox said. The injured were being asked to take cuts in their compensation entitlement, 20 per cent in most cases and 100 per cent in some cases. “But it seems that there are millions of dollars to be given away. It is particularly pathetic to see this happening in the International Year of the Disabled,” said Mr Knox.