The Victorian Government wants to rip hundreds of millions of dollars off the Victorian WorkCover Authority because it has a surplus.

The idea is that they will take $471.5 million from WorkCover funds which are supposed to be for workers’ safety and benefit, and use it for other stuff.

We all know what former Premier Jeff Kennett did to Victorian workers. He slashed benefits for the injured, he eliminated common law claims, and he made WorkCover premiums shoot up.

It took years for the Labor Governments that followed to undo the damage, and in the meantime, it was you and your mates who suffered.

We cannot let this happen all over again.

WorkCover money is for workers.

There is nowhere in Australia, or the rest of the world, where a government has tried such a thing, and there is a good reason for that.

It is ridiculous to take money paid for workers’ safety, not spend it, and then hand it back to government.

If there is a surplus it should be spent on safety. There should be more inspectors, more research, more development of better methods and best practice.

Make your voice heard by signing this online petition.

You can also talk to your local member, or you may want to write to the Premier, or the Treasurer, or the Minister for WorkCover Gordon Rich-Phillips.

We need to move decisively and quickly. The State Government intends to have legislation (to allow it to take these funds) through Parliament before the end of this month. And if that happens, the first money will be ripped off WorkCover by the end of March.