I leave the thread,we can not ever come together here.
That rise in costs rechtub complains about is more than matched by fuel and much more.
And if you remember his costs are said to have risen over nearly 30 years, what has not by that percentage.
Like a butcher workers have to eat, if forced to pay their own insurance?
Anyone doubt they too would pass it on?
Underlining costs and who pays them, no honest employer is not trying hard to cut his costs by reducing claims.
A safer workplace is the result.
It stuns me that unions and workers to some are near evil, yet they like you and I are humans too.
living next door or over the road, a union card is no different than membership of a bosses union, we have many of them.
We understand we can not forever pay workplace injury's costs from the public purse but we are doing so right now more often than not.

Belly, two things I wish to point out as you exit this post. And I would appreciate you point of whether or not you consider this fair.

The time frame is in fact 20 years , not 30 as you state.

The other point is that I agree that costs rise, however it is the percentage that has concerned me.

Eg: Back in 89 I PAID 50 cents FOR EVERY $100 of an employees wage for WC insurance.

Remembering that my company has had no claims, which means I run a 'AAA' rated workplace yet I NOW PAY $5.00 PER EVERY $100 of an employees wage.

Imagine if you where taxed 5 cents for every dollar you earned back in 89 and now you got taxed 50cents for every dollar you earned today.

Now be honnest! Do you think this is fair on me considering I am a 'AAA' rated employer?

I have contributed tens of thousands of dollars into this fund yet, even though I have not drawn from it, you people want me to pay more.

Where is the fairness in that.

Retchub

Every year I spend my hard earned dollars on insurance for my home, contents, third party, car and more.

Only twice in my life have I had to claim on any of this insurance - that was when I was burgled and when a car ploughed into my car at speed.

If you provide the level of safety as any good employer should, then I don't understand your problem. Bad things happen and all too often to good people, this is why we spend on insurance and this how insurance companies remain viable.

I have been a victim of workplace injury and can agree it is not good value for money - I have not been retrained nor did I receive equitable recompense for what was done to me.

However, it is better than nothing at all.

What would be a fair, equitable and affordable system than what is in existence at present?

Fractelle
Every year I spend my hard earned dollars on insurance for my home, contents, third party, car and more
Correct, Your Car, Your House, Your Contents. I also have all of these to pay as well, for MY personal benefit! Although I must admit, with the way that the INSURED have been treated as oppossed to the UN-INSURED in the Vic bush fires, I can see a lot of insured people scrathing thier heads right now wondering why they bothered to pay thier insurance!

If you provide the level of safety as any good employer should, then I don't understand your problem.

Here is my problem.
Back in 89 I paid approx two dollars per week per employee for WC.

Today I pay approx FORTY FIVE DOLLARS per week per employee.

Now if wages had gone up the same as WC my staff would be earning around $9,000 per week.

So do you still call this fair?

What would be a fair, equitable and affordable system than what is in existence at present?
Leave just as it is today. If you want additional cover then pay for it and claim it back on your tax.

Every nail you drive into small business is one nail closer to closure. But you need not worry because if these new IR laws come in, most small businesses will either stop expanding, down size or close.

I did not wish to come back to the thread however you rechtub deserve an answer.
It is yes.
The system is too important not to be properly funded.
The Innocent victims too must not find no future because of an accident.
However the debate focused on your claims of corruption, fraud, almost every case seemed to be fraudulent to me from your posts.
Here are the fact as I see it.
In NSW claims at that time had become massive, not just workers comp but car trauma events and even people jumping in to shallow water at night, while drunk, sued councils.
Some got hundreds of thousands of dollars for that!
NSW had a mission to cut such claims, the amounts awarded and ruled out some claims .
At the same time as WC was being redrafted.
Now fraud has always been with us in all three areas.
Too few perpetrators go to prison for it.
The ALP like any party charges in to mistake ridden ground, this was such a case.
We, surely most of us? had had a gut full of million dollar pay outs to car drivers who caused the event.
You I and the world knows law firms prosper on WC.
Not as much as they once did, a workers rights eroded under Labor, people are rated on extent of injury's, not ability to work.
It is a sham, it however is cutting workplace injury's, the costs see bosses try to work safer.
But as growing costs exist so too must your fees, the ones you get tax breaks from then pass on to us in your mystery bags.
We need a better fairer system, less lawyers more money for victims, prison for fraud

Well belly I thank you for that however I don't think that everyone is a compo cheat, nor do I have a problem with anyone making a ligit claim. And yes, we do provide safer workplaces, my record is 'AAA'.

My point is quite simple, why am I the one who has to pay the penalty. I have not even drawn on my fund yet today I pay FIVE times the percentage in fees.

If my WC premium was still at 50cents per $100 I would not have a problem.

Can anyone explain to me why THE PERCENTAGE of wages I pay in my WC premium has increased tenfold.

Now if your household insurance went from say $200 per year to $4,500 per year would you be happy. This is what has happened to me as such.