The ABC is carrying an epic whinge by the CFMEU in the wake of the Civic building collapse.
- “CFMEU national safety expert Martin Kingham has been denied entry to the site by the builder Leighton Contractors.
Mr Kingham says he is concerned for the safety of workers and wants Leighton Contractors to let him on site to inspect the collapse.
He also claims workers at the site are not being paid.
“I was greeted by about a dozen workers who can’t go to work,” he said.
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What’s Your opinion?
Subcontractors and CFMEU out in the cold on building collapse
Whatever happened, and is happening, looks a hundred times worse if the builder is trying to keep the union out. There is a manifest issue of workplace safety, in which the uniom has a role and considerable expertise. Locking them out makes it look like there’s something to hide.
Clearly no work is being done at the site at the moment. I reckon the CFMEU would be better served doing the inspection before work starts up again (and having that inspection done by a scaffolding expert of their choosing). At that point there really shouldn’t be an argument from Leightons if they are providing a safe workplace…..
From the ABC artice: “The union says there was a smaller formwork collapse at the same Leighton Contractors construction site about two weeks ago.” The construction company has confirmed the earlier incident occured but will not comment further as it is being investigated by ACT WorkCover.
What a bunch of cowboys. What did I say about Leighton sticking to building roads in the other thread?
barking toad said :
And threats of violence – that’s also a good tool used within the costruction industry.
CFMEU is about control of work sites – O H & S is a tool used to achieve this
I can’t see why the company would keep them out. Surely safety is paramount.
I also wholeheartedly concur! This stinks of a cover-up!
Thumper said :
Agreed, although perhaps the particular rep didn’t have the appropriate skills to inform a safety investigation that is already being undertaken by workcover?
A union is representing its workers. I’d be interested in knowing how the building collapsed
I can’t see why the company would keep them out. Surely safety is paramount.
The Canberra Times says Leightons denied the CFMEU expert on health and safety access because he is not from the CAT and an authorised ACT union rep had already been on. IR laws allow this denial.
Bloody hell. This is about finding out if there are fundamental problems on this site, and problems that may be being replicated around Australia. people’s lives are at risk.
I suspect, but admit i don’t know – the CFMEU may ahve figures – that since the ABCC and tighter access law came making it harder for unions to police safety on site that death and injury rates on building sites have gone up.
Pandy said :
The CFMEU doesn’t own any building businesses, the sub-contractor responsible, K-Form, are a South Australian company who have just started working in the ACT recently.
Aeek said :
The ACT doesnt have formwork codes of practice (they are expensive and workcover here in the ACT doesnt have the resources to develop new codes) so we use the NSW workcover codes of practice or the Australian Standards in many areas of construction.
I thought that CFMEU contractors are responsible for putting up the scaffolding? Oh they wont take responsibility and will blame the non-union bosses?
I found this odd
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/28/2403814.htm
“What we’re asking for now is that on each construction site there should be urgent audit of all safety committees to ensure that all formwork structures conform with NSW codes of practice.”
Um, we’re in the ACT.
dammit now i have to agree with passy
people die on worksites; and it’s damm lucky people didn’t die on this one…. and if the union is being blocked from protecting its members then damm well should be whinging about it.
this is the aspect of the whole ABCC/workchoices rubbish that winds me up the most; union safety inspectors save lives and they need access to worksites to do it. in this case they are being denied access to a site which could potentially endanger their members, this isn’t a complicated issue.
damm right they should be whinging.
Why do you call this a whinge?
A union is representing its workers. I’d be interested in knowing how the building collapsed.