1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: The union representing shop and retail workers, has accused the 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Northern Territory government of breaking its promise of a safety 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: audit at late night outlets, which it's it committed to 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: in the wake of bottle shop worker Declan Lavity's death. 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: Now seven months after, the SDA union is calling for action, 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: with an audit only conducted at thirty five businesses, according 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: to reports by the Northern Territory News. Now joining us 8 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: on the line right now is the Shop Distributors Association 9 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: secretary Josh Peek. 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Josh. 11 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 3: Good Akatie. Thanks having me on. 12 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 2: Josh. 13 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: Firstly, I mean we've just seen once again overnight police 14 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: calling for witnesses to a robbery at a servo in Nightcliff. 15 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: At about eleven thirty two male youths entered this store 16 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: and began to throw soft drink cans at a female worker. 17 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 3: Oh look, it's just shocking and there is no doubt 18 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 3: that workers working overnight in these standalone venues where they 19 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,639 Speaker 3: be service stations or the liquor shops, are particularly vulnerable, 20 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 3: which is exactly why after the devastating death of Decline 21 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 3: a few months ago, we called for an urgent audit 22 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 3: of all of these establishments so make sure they do 23 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 3: have proper safety protocols in place to protect the staff 24 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 3: that are often working alone in really vulnerable settings. 25 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 2: And I mean we. 26 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: Know that we also had a situation not so long 27 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: ago where absolutely terribly there was a service station employee 28 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 1: who lost an eye when a stick was thrown during 29 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: a store rampage. 30 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 3: Well, look, and that's exactly what raised our entire concerns. 31 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 3: On this occasion, which was after that terrible event that 32 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 3: happened an number of weeks ago, we asked for an 33 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 3: update in terms of how the audit was going and 34 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 3: what seems to have occurred. And to be fair coding, 35 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 3: I've engaged with the Chief Minister since this was revealed 36 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 3: to us, and her engagement being excellent, and I think 37 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 3: we are now on the part of fixing it. But 38 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 3: what seems to have occurred is the commitment was given 39 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 3: to us that an order would would occur of all 40 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 3: these late late night retail locations to make sure they've 41 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 3: got proper systems of work in place, so physical screens 42 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 3: to make sure that people can't have been plone of them. 43 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 3: Secondary exits that there's protocols in place to actually shut 44 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 3: the location overnight, the particularly for service station, so that 45 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 3: the night windows can only be used, which is a 46 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 3: great way to keep worker's face. And what occurred is 47 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 3: and it seems to be a problem within government in 48 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 3: terms of the way that commitment was then communicated, was 49 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 3: that rather than it being an audit of all of 50 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 3: these late night venues by work Safe, which is what 51 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 3: we expected it to be, so Safety the Safety regulator 52 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 3: would go out to each of these establishments look at 53 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 3: it to make sure that they are complying with the law, 54 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 3: which is to take every reasonable step to keep their 55 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 3: workers space. It seems to have been turned into a 56 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 3: voluntary program right ideas, which says that a late night 57 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 3: then you can say, oh, look, we would like someone 58 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 3: to come out and just make sure that we're compliant, 59 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 3: and then someone that they can choose from a list 60 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 3: of auditors and auditor will come out of and assess 61 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 3: and give them some voluntary recommendation. So one it's a 62 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 3: voluntary audit, and then two the recommendation gune enforceable. Either 63 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 3: from our point of view, that is not what the 64 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 3: commitment was. The commitment is very clear that WorkSafe NT 65 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 3: would go through a methodical process using its inspectors who 66 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 3: are trained to go into each of these sites and 67 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 3: make sure there are protocols to keep worker space. And 68 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 3: the employer has an obligation under the Workshealth and Safety 69 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 3: Act take every reasonable step to protect their protect their workforce. 70 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 3: And we know there's a reasonable risk that these things occur. 71 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 3: We know because it continues to occur. We're hearing about 72 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 3: it constantly. 73 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: So what do you want to see happen here? Josh? 74 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: I mean, you know it's obvious that you do still 75 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: have concerns for people working in late night standalone locations. 76 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: I mean, and rightly so, even the fact that you've 77 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: had a female employee having to shelter as soft drinks 78 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: were thrown out earlier this week. 79 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 3: So what needs need to happen? And we've got a 80 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 3: meeting now, And following this revelation that in actual fact 81 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 3: be audited by WORKFACEE became a voluntary engagement with businesses, 82 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 3: we've now got a meeting with Workface and NT and 83 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 3: that's occurring tomorrow where we're going to make it very 84 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 3: clear that the commitment was about making sure that every 85 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 3: single late night establishment in the NT is inspected over 86 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 3: a reasonable time frame to make sure that I've got 87 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,359 Speaker 3: suitable protocols, and so that might be night windows, so 88 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 3: after eleven pm close, close the shop and only self 89 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 3: fuel through the night window. It might be building physical 90 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 3: barriers such as security screens so that workers can't have 91 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 3: things thrown thrown at them. It should be things like 92 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 3: secondary exits. We know many of these places are designed 93 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 3: so that when a worker is behind the council potentially 94 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 3: being held held up, or there's an aggressive incident occurring, 95 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 3: so I've got nowhere to go there there's no second door, 96 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 3: there's no escape route, and that just puts people in 97 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 3: an incredibly vulnerable situation. And this is about the physical 98 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 3: design of these workplaces. And indeed, look at rostering workers 99 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 3: working a liner at such a higher risk of abuse 100 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 3: and the soul. And we think it's appropriate that in 101 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 3: many cases there's second secondary staff put on because sometimes 102 00:05:54,880 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 3: it can be hours between a worker seeing a second colleague. 103 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 3: So there's a range of things. But the really important 104 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 3: thing is is that Work Safe MT conduct the investigations 105 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 3: and make sure they are enforceable so that it's not 106 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 3: just a voluntary scheme. It needs to be enforceable. 107 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 2: Now Josh, I do want to ask you before I 108 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:15,679 Speaker 2: let you go this morning. 109 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: We know that there are though plenty of different businesses 110 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: taking measures into their own hands. I mean, we've spoken 111 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: to businesses in Catherine who've put up big concrete ballards 112 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: outside of their workplaces that then get moved, you know, 113 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: in the morning, and that kind of thing. What are 114 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: some of the different initiatives or different measures is probably 115 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: the right word that you're hearing of. 116 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 3: Well, look, there are lots of ones, and again I 117 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 3: think it's also important that the government does step step 118 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 3: in and continue to make its scheme available to provide 119 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 3: grants for some of these businesses, particularly the small businesses 120 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 3: that might not be able to afford to make the 121 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 3: physical changes. But there's a whole range of really good, 122 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 3: good initiatives. One of them that was being tried in 123 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 3: a whole bunch of Ward supermarkets right now is moving 124 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 3: from category run to category for security offices. That's really 125 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 3: important because in many cases, the security offices they were 126 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 3: employing just weren't trained to deal with some of the 127 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 3: really terrifying incidents that were occurring. So upgrading the level 128 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,239 Speaker 3: of security has been something that that we've been seen occurring. 129 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 3: We're also seeing things like turning off Wi Fi so 130 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 3: that when we're seeing less particularly overnight and before the 131 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 3: store closes, so you see less people hanging around the 132 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 3: venue or the establishment access in free free Wi Fi. 133 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 3: There's a whole range of you know, like that might 134 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 3: seem minor, but it actually makes a big, big difference 135 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 3: because we see, you know, particularly around the staff excerpt, 136 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 3: sometimes people just hanging out there creating quite an unsafe situation. 137 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 3: So more more security, physical probably probably really physical barriers 138 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 3: to keep workers behind shields and screens, and we've particularly 139 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 3: had some success recently McDonald's stores as well, committing to 140 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 3: install security screens that workers can stand behind. So there's 141 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 3: a whole range of things. They're not a single fix, 142 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 3: but it's really important that you know, whether it's the employer, 143 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 3: the government and indeed being and the workforce, that we're 144 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 3: all putting our shoulders to the real gear to make 145 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 3: these workplaces as place as they possibly can be. 146 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: Just a really quick one. We know that the powers 147 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: were bought in if I remember correctly a little earlier 148 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: this year to issue trespass notices at some of those 149 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: shopping centers and some of the different locations, different shops 150 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: around the Northern territory. Josh, have you found that that's 151 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: made much of a difference. 152 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 3: Well, look, one of the things that we're struggling with again, 153 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 3: I've had some meetings with retailers around this recently, is 154 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 3: we just don't think there's enough awareness. So some of 155 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 3: the retailers have put in places like the trespass notices, 156 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 3: but what we haven't seen yet is a full scale 157 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 3: take up, particularly from the major retailers, of the trespath scheme. 158 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 3: And the deed was a feature of the meeting I 159 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 3: had with the head of Safety for war Worth only 160 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 3: a week ago, which was to make sure they had 161 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,439 Speaker 3: a plan to implement this. So it is important that 162 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 3: this has taken up. There's no point us going to 163 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 3: the effort of changing the law so that these workplaces 164 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 3: have the capacity to ban people if they then aren't 165 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 3: actually banning them. So we're hopeful that that will make 166 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 3: a real difference in the coming up. 167 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: Well, Josh Peck from the Shop Distributors Association, the secretary, 168 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: we really appreciate your time, mate, Thanks so much. 169 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 2: For having a chat with us. 170 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 3: Cheers, Katie, thank you, thank you.