Article for the New Zealand Herald, by Mike Ward, the national health and safety officer for the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.
Picture this: you're 18 years old and you've just got a job as a pine technician. But first you've got to buy chaps, boots, a safety helmet, earmuffs, safety glasses and a couple of compasses. The bill comes to $1700. Or this: You've got three kids and a mortgage to feed and your take-home pay is $300 a week. If it rains and you don't work, you don't get paid. You've got a choice between setting aside the $25 a week you're given in lieu of safety equipment, or putting bread on the table.