The death of a metal worker in Sydney’s west early this morning is a dark day for NSW manufacturing and a reminder of the dangers manufacturing workers face every day they go to work, the AMWU said today.

A man was killed after being crushed by machinery at a factory in Sydney’s west in the early hours of this morning. The workplace, Baker and Provan, is a heavy engineering business.

“This is a tragic reminder of the dangers manufacturing workers face every day,” said Mr Ayres.

“Manufacturing is the most dangerous industry in NSW by far, generating the highest number of serious workplace injuries.”

Today’s tragedy should give pause to the NSW Government which plans to overhaul the workers compensation scheme, cutting payments to injured workers and the bereaved families of workers killed on the job, said Mr Ayres.

“The Premier is being egged on by industry groups to cut payments to injured workers and bereaved families so that businesses can pay lower insurance premiums.

“If businesses want to cut their workers comp premiums, they need to stop injuring and killing workers on the job.”

Manufacturing is the most dangerous industry in NSW, accounting for about 10% of the workforce but 16% of all major injuries and 20% of the cost of the Workers Compensation Scheme.

Any changes that cut entitlements to injured workers would disproportionately affect manufacturing workers, said Mr Ayres.

An emergency meeting of AMWU workplace delegates today has endorsed a strong campaign against a watering down of workers comp entitlements.