Ahead of the Melbourne Cup, jockeys are urging the punters to donate some part of the purse money that their horses win towards treating their injured confreres.
There is no doubt that the sport is one of the most deadly and the risks involved are rather perilous. Some jockeys end up hurting themselves and never recover from the injuries sustained. It is not difficult to cite instances
where the riders suffered from intense head injuries with resulting lower body paralysis.
The jockey’s unions are backing calls, asking the fans and supporters to fight for the rights of those people who undertake serious risks when running in the high stakes races.
A survey conducted by the ACTU, revealed that 69 percent of jockeys struggle to make ends meet. When these low paid riders suffer from serious injuries, they barely have any money to pay for their treatment. Not just this, they
also become unfit to contend any more races thus putting a full stop to their careers. Statistics reveal that most of the riders, irrespective of their wins and losses, in the Australian Horse Racing Industry are not paid more than $ 40,000. On top of this,
these jockeys do not have any guarantee of work, since the slightest injury can knock them out of the races.
When the president of ACTU was questioned about the financial and medical conditions of the jockeys, he was reported as saying, “Jockeys don’t have many of the conditions and protections enjoyed by other Australian workers.”
The organizations is launching a campaign to plead with the owners of the horses to fix a certain amount of the purse money won by the horses for the treatment of the riders who cannot afford to purchase the sophisticated medicines
prescribed to them during their treatment process. The unions are also demanding the government financially back the National Jockeys Trust of Australia. The Racing Industry earns the State of Victoria revenue of around $600 million. The advocates pursuing
the jockeys’ case have put forward a demand list that includes an increase in the injury fund up to $5 million so that there is enough money to pay for the medical expenses of the injured riders and to financially support the families of those who succumbed
to the injuries on the track. They are also asking the punters to fix a five percent donation amount of their winning money.
According to a medical study carried out in 2009, being a jockey was listed as one of the most dangerous jobs in Australia. It was also found that there had been 3000 falls, 900 fatal injuries and numerous deaths in the Australian
Horse Racing Industry alone. The death of four major jockeys (who died between 2000 and 2005) caught the attention of the Australian Government that led to a safety study in the sport. It was also discovered that there were numerous minor injuries that the
riders suffered from and were never reported.
The report quoted, “Many of the injuries reported by workers in the sector were serious and involved head and spinal injury and the fracture of bones.” It further said, “The culture within the sector appears to lead to a greater
focus on horses and their performance than the health, safety and well-being of the employees.”
After this report was published by the Victorian Government, the officials of the racing industry have taken many steps towards the well being of its jockeys. Also, the health and safety policies have been revised for jockeys.
It is very vital for the industry and the Australian Government to consider horse riding as a proper job and thus recognize the importance of looking after the well being of its employees without who the industry and the sport is incomplete.
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