Patrick hit with health and safety fine

An employee who was also a union safety representative at Geelong, was suspended, reprimanded and threatened with the sack for raising safety concerns.

A Melbourne magistrate’s court found this constituted discrimination against an occupational health and safety representative.

It is an offence for an employer either to threaten or take action against an employee for raising a health and safety concern. In addition Patrick was ordered to pay 80% of the costs of the complaint.