Worker Three: The Man Who Crunched the Numbers & Found Them Missing
Steal from Peter to give to Paul, until Richard entered the equation
The Unions
LESSON: They pit each other against the other, as workers in competing sectors force action upon a government that does not want to negotiate, not because of funds or the funding, but because they can. They watch on as workers fight it out at the bottom of the system. It is the distraction they need to stop us from establishing what is going on: CLASS WARFARE.
1. How we met
2. Industry
Various health employers, both public and private, state and federal.
3. The Cognitive Dissonance
I imagine it would be the reality that working in health, and being injured or advocating for injured workers, must be equal parts unnerving and contradictory.
4. Divide & Conquer / Conquer & Divide
Unions advocate for workers, of all kinds but, as pointed out by Richard in a post on the industry and unions advocating for workers, at the same time his trade union, my former employer, the Health Services Union (NSW/ACT/QLD) (HSU) does not appear to be advocating for their members around various forms of legislative reform design in which vulnerable workers are left hanging, particularly about psychological injury, with higher thresholds almost impossible to meet, yet alone maintain support from a group of insurers that do not wish to accept claims, or support in the way in which it was, and will be, needed. iCare, don’t care.
5. Who has the power?
The insurance company, starting with the likes of iCare, dropped down to a subsidiary called EML, and their legal team, Gair Legal. In an article by Roxanne Libatique, Insurance boss urges action as mental health claims surge[1] Ken Griffin, CEO and managing director of the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) calls out the mental health crisis, referring to it as a collective challenge. He is correct and one that sits at the core of fundamental workers’ right:
The right to be safe at work
Mental health claims the leading cause of total and permanent disability (TPD) claims in Australia, workers face stigma, bureaucratic rigmarole, and implications that they have misled health professionals, yet statistics state TPD claims have increased by more than 700%. The post below sums up this situation.
LinkedIn: Richard Hoskins
In a Please Explain, two insurers were requested justification for their handling of claims for psychological injury, as well as the management of these and complaints. In the words of one Facebook user, the email called her case manager lazy, incompetent, called out the ways she was crazy, and used another c-word that will not be repeated here. Support group divided, some agreed that these managers had to be called to account. Aware that these managers are employees too, I questioned the method of communication. Yet again, one group of workers, injured in common, still turned on each other, despite having been turned on by their coworkers, managers, the employer, and insurance authorities. You can see why the theme for Hoskin’s post was one of trust, loss of trust, and a trust vacuum. The response for EML is a mere two pages.
The key component of Hoskin’s work is how trade unions, in fighting for the rights of public servants in New South Wales, that one union, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) managed outcomes for members and wage increases, upon which the government has chosen to axe the jobs of 95- public servants from Transport for NSW to cover the costs. Summed up with precision, compliance by coercion and workers are with or against and those against are, like the author of this piece of writing, on the six puzzle pieces, becomes the sacrificial lamb. As Hoskin’s states:
“It’s how many “Peters” we’ll lose before “Paul” realises he’s next.”
6. Lesson: The divided unions will be defeated
Those trade unions, including my former employer, the HSU, are known and notorious for turning their members, and each other, against each other. This is why they continue to sink their own ships, loose lips creating blips of the radar at the end of horizon. Turns out there is now pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but missile launcher with its sights set on the goal: TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE MOVEMENT SET UP TO KEEP US SAFE.
7. What we have in common
We both studied at Penn State University in Pennsylvania, United States of America.
[1] Roxanne Libatique, 24 July 2025. SOURCE: https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/life-insurance/insurance-boss-urges-action-as-mental-health-claims-surge-543717.aspx
(c) Pink Collar Workers 2025