Manufacturing: Supply of aprons, gowns and medical uniforms

Investigations of 14 contractors operating under NSW Government contract 3009 Aprons, Gowns and Medical Uniforms were conducted by the Office of Industrial Relations between March and June 2008. 

The businesses investigated engaged 948 workers at the time of the inspections.  An assessment of the workers identified that 88 per cent were engaged on a full time basis, while three per cent and nine per cent were engaged on a part-time or casual basis, respectively.  The majority of workers were female (59 per cent).

The investigations identified that 17 per cent of businesses were fully compliant at the time of the inspections.  Inspectors issued 58 per cent of businesses with formal cautions regarding identified non-compliance with industrial relations legislation, while 25 per cent of investigations were terminated for other reasons (including the cessation of business operations).  At the conclusion of the compliance activities, no businesses had been fined or prosecuted.

During the investigations, inspectors identified breaches of NSW industrial relations legislation, as detailed in the following table.

The Office has recommended that ten businesses be inspected at a later stage.  Pending other commitments, it is anticipated that these follow-up inspections will occur during 2008/09.