---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What really matters in a workplace, what…"
description: "\"What really matters in a workplace, what helps an employer if you've got a unionised workforce is if your shop stewards know the rules of the game, if ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg"
---

#  What really matters in a workplace, what helps an employer…

![“What really matters in a workplace, what helps an employer if you've got a unionised workforce is if your shop stewards know the rules of the game, if your safety reps are taught to be able to examine situations to make sure the workplace is more safety. Better informed delegates, better workplace…” quote by Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg)

> “What really matters in a workplace, what helps an employer if you've got a unionised workforce is if your shop stewards know the rules of the game, if your safety reps are taught to be able to examine situations to make sure the workplace is more safety. Better informed delegates, better workplace safety saves companies money. Unions are very good at safety. We are good at teaching delegates how to resolve disputes.”

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Effective union safety training improves workplace conditions and reduces costs, emphasizing informed delegates.

**In simple terms:** Training union reps in safety saves money and protects workers.

Key Takeaway

Invest in safety education for union members.

Themes

labor safety union education

Mood

serious optimistic

Type

policy motivational

When to use this quote

- manufacturing plants
- construction sites
- service industries
- union meetings

Key Concepts

collective bargaining risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- How can unions measure safety improvements?
- What barriers exist to safety education?

A Different Perspective

Training alone cannot fix systemic safety issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Delegates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delegates/) [Employers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employers/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Resolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolve/) [Rules of the game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-of-the-game/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Workforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workforce/) [Workplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workplace/) [Workplace safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workplace-safety/)

## Related quotes

> [Safety is all well and good: I prefer freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/safety-is-all-well-and-good-i-prefer-freedom/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The deaths of such skilled fliers like my very good friend Sean Leary make me see that if there's ever a question of safety,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/the-deaths-of-such-skilled-fliers-like-my-very-good-friend-sean-leary/)

[Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/)

> [I think unions are a good thing, but sometimes, not to get too political, but unions can go the wrong way, but the idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benson-henderson/i-think-unions-are-a-good-thing-but-sometimes-not-to-get-too/)

[Benson Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benson-henderson/)

> [Although unions may be good for a worker, singular, they are not always good for workers, plural. Especially when it comes to finding a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/although-unions-may-be-good-for-a-worker-singular-they-are-not-always/)

[Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/)

> [The unions might be good for the people who are in the unions but it doesn't do a thing for the people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-unions-might-be-good-for-the-people-who-are-in-the-unions-but-it/)

[Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/)

> [“I really hated the Obama/Biden Administration by the time I was done interacting with them regarding dangerous workplace safety hazards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-really-hated-the-obama-biden-administration-by-the-time-i-was-done/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [We still have tremendous work ahead of us to ensure that women have equal opportunities in the workplace and in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blanche-lincoln/we-still-have-tremendous-work-ahead-of-us-to-ensure-that-women-have/)

[Blanche Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blanche-lincoln/)

> [For example, UNICEF works with governments to change legislation such as in India where a law was passed raising the age of compulsory school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bellamy/for-example-unicef-works-with-governments-to-change-legislation-such/)

[Carol Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bellamy/)

> [The workplace should have a place where the kids can visit. They should have places at the mother's or the father's work where professionals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-braeden/the-workplace-should-have-a-place-where-the-kids-can-visit-they/)

[Eric Braeden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-braeden/)

> [Where there are many counsellors there is safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-coke/where-there-are-many-counsellors-there-is-safety/)

[Edward Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-coke/)

> [These children should be enrolled in Independent Living programs designed by state and local governments to prepare them to enter the workplace, or attend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bass/these-children-should-be-enrolled-in-independent-living-programs/)

[Charles Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bass/)

> [Working safely is like breathing - if you don't, you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-smith/working-safely-is-like-breathing-if-you-don-t-you-die/)

[Jerry Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-smith/)

> [If you don't think it's safe, it probably isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-smith/if-you-don-t-think-it-s-safe-it-probably-isn-t/)

[Jerry Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-smith/)

> [Meanwhile, hard-working Americans are increasingly faced with workplace conditions in which critically important safeguards are watered down, emerging problems are ignored, and enforcement is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-bishop/meanwhile-hard-working-americans-are-increasingly-faced-with/)

[Tim Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-bishop/)

> [The quest for peace begins in the home, in the school and in the workplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-cartwright/the-quest-for-peace-begins-in-the-home-in-the-school-and-in-the/)

[Silvia Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-cartwright/)

## More by Bill Shorten

> [Both casual, unthinking discrimination and deliberate, malicious homophobia erode self-confidence and undermine mental health. Both are far too common, not just in our schoolyards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/both-casual-unthinking-discrimination-and-deliberate-malicious/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [Our world is moving forward on climate change. If Australia goes backwards, we will be going alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/our-world-is-moving-forward-on-climate-change-if-australia-goes/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [Safe Schools lets young people who identify as gay know that they have every right to be accepted and respected for who they are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/safe-schools-lets-young-people-who-identify-as-gay-know-that-they/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [Labor should not be about creating monuments on hills or statues in parks. Labor's monuments and statues are when a young person can find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/labor-should-not-be-about-creating-monuments-on-hills-or-statues-in/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [We will always be a fair wage nation in a low wage region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/we-will-always-be-a-fair-wage-nation-in-a-low-wage-region/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [I believe marriage equality is a simple change that sends a powerful message. It is a chance for us to say, as a nation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/i-believe-marriage-equality-is-a-simple-change-that-sends-a-powerful/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [It is devastating that jail is seen as a rite of passage for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, part of the natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/it-is-devastating-that-jail-is-seen-as-a-rite-of-passage-for-many/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [Australia's economic future depends upon getting smarter. This means investing in the skills and knowledge of our workforce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/australia-s-economic-future-depends-upon-getting-smarter-this-means/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [The supreme challenge of Labor is to recognise our 'revolutionary moment' when it arrives. And to have the courage to seize it - wholly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/the-supreme-challenge-of-labor-is-to-recognise-our-revolutionary/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [We commissioned an independent statutory economic body - the Productivity Commission - to review the possibility of funding a disability scheme. The commission returned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/we-commissioned-an-independent-statutory-economic-body-the/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [The appalling rate of incarceration among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples demands we create justice targets under the Closing the Gap framework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/the-appalling-rate-of-incarceration-among-aboriginal-and-torres/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [Trusting people to pursue their own futures invariably provides better outcomes. Money goes where it is needed, rather than being absorbed by administration costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/trusting-people-to-pursue-their-own-futures-invariably-provides/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [We all have choices in history. Some are more important than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/we-all-have-choices-in-history-some-are-more-important-than-others/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [Ending discrimination and extending equality should always be a national priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/ending-discrimination-and-extending-equality-should-always-be-a/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

[Explore all 48 Bill Shorten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

## More Able quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

Greg Perry

> [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

Browse all 17,257 Able quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What really matters in a workplace, what helps an employer if you've got a unionised workforce is if your shop stewards know the rules of the game, if your safety reps are taught to be able to examine situations to make sure the workplace is more safety. Better informed delegates, better workplace safety saves companies money. Unions are very good at safety. We are good at teaching delegates how to resolve disputes.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Shorten"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what-helps-an-employer-if-you-ve/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what-helps-an-employer-if-you-ve/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/967/bill-shorten-14126_able_what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what_2485827.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What really matters in a workplace, what helps an employer if you've got a unionised workforce is if your…” — Bill Shorten",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill Shorten",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What really matters in a workplace,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what-helps-an-employer-if-you-ve/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/what-really-matters-in-a-workplace-what-helps-an-employer-if-you-ve/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
