Union workers march, demanding better health and safety
Fraser Barton |
Hundreds of construction workers have marched through central Brisbane demanding an overhaul of workplace health and safety provisions.
The rally, organised by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU), reached the steps of parliament on Thursday, with members calling for mass changes to “outdated” safety regulations across worksites.
“We have a bureaucracy that refuses to modernise dangerously outdated safety regulations, and a safety inspectorate that acts like a protection racket for dodgy developers and contractors,” CFMMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar said in a statement.
Signs, flags and even fake skulls were held by workers, who blasted rock tunes and led chants saying the government had “blood on their hands” after a worker on Brisbane’s cross-river rail project was left in intensive care following a fall from scaffolding in July.
Thursday’s protest was the second in as many months and the third downing-of-tools by union members since July’s incident.
Mr Ravbar said a recently completed review of workplace health and safety laws failed to address urgent issues raised by workers.
“This so-called review failed even on such glaringly basic levels as requiring female toilet amenities on major building sites, or to close huge deficiencies in the training and licensing of heavy machinery operators,” he said.
“Nor did it address the abject failure of many contractors to allow workers to form workplace health and safety committees on larger sites.”
Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace met a union delegation at parliament house on Thursday.
She said Queensland had “nation-leading” workplace health and safety laws and the government had accepted 31 recommendations from a recent review into legislation.
“We are always happy to discuss a range of work health and safety matters, and my office will be meeting with officials to explore the matters raised today in further detail in the coming weeks,” Ms Grace said in a statement.
AAP
