I’m pleased to say that the Transport Workers’ Union has had a very successful year when it comes to Workplace Health and Safety, and that includes here at Minchinbury. This year, we grew the WHS department, expanded our training offering, and have continued to hold PCBUs to account.
I’m pleased to say that the Transport Workers’ Union has had a very successful year when it comes to Workplace Health and Safety, and that includes here at Minchinbury. This year, we grew the WHS department, expanded our training offering, and have continued to hold PCBUs to account.
We have seen countless members and delegates come through our doors for training this year, and have also sent staff to Sub-branches and elsewhere across New South Wales, to ensure members can receive high quality training no-matter where they live.
We undertook near-constant sessions for Delegate 1, 2 and 3 training, and also trained countless new HSRs, some of whom have already gone on to make their workplaces safer this year.
I am proud that we put training at the forefront of our work with members.
A few months ago, two Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) and Delegates at Lindsay Transport issued two Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs), using the new SafeWork NSW PIN book they received in TWU HSR training.
Soon after, SafeWork NSW issued an improvement notice for lack of proper PPE – a vindication of the HSR’s hard work and proof that training has many real-life applications in the workplace.
This is only one example of a PIN being issued by a HSR utilising their training this year. PINs have also been issued by TWU HSRs against Aldi, Virgin, and most recently to Certis Security at Sydney Airport.
It takes a lot of work and risk to stand-up for workplace safety, but doing so brings the industry along with us. Workplaces with HSRs are safer workplaces.
This was no clearer than at the SafeWork NSW HSR Conference in September this year, where Transport Workers’ Union HSRs were by far the largest contingent in an already-growing conference. Myself and Emily Armstrong ran educational sessions that day, and were struck by how many HSRs from unions across NSW and the State Government wanted to learn from the TWU as best practice.
I would like to once again thank Emily Armstrong, TWU Safety & Education Official, who has conducted countless training sessions on behalf of the union this year. She has conducted near-constant HSR and delegate training, as well as spearheading the Health and Safety Conference, and lead the Women In Transport Panel at our TWU Delegates conference in August.
It was great to see two new panelists, TWU women Alex Jabbour and Wendy Tran, speak at conference for the first time about the challenges they’ve overcome in the workplace on behalf of other Transport Workers, and to hear about their passion for safer, fairer workplaces.
I continue to be proud of what we’ve achieved this year as a union, and particularly in the WHS space.
In 2026, as the rest of the Union stands ready to fight for fairer conditions and better standards in the workplace, we stand ready to do the same. Myself, Emily, and the rest of the team look forward to welcoming even more members through our doors next year.
Marija Marsic • Assistant State Secretary