AUTUMN 2017
WHERE WE’RE AT Richie Hassett Secretary Tasmanian bosses have shown just how out of touch they are when it comes to workers and what they’re worth. The offers that have been put forward by Vos and H&Y are a disgrace. The only people in the state
that don’t think a tradesman in Tasmania is worth $35 seem to be the construction company bosses and the Master Builders. These people have sat back for decades here in Tasmania and reaped the benefits sown on the
back of construction workers. It’s time for them to pull their heads out of their arses and start treating workers with respect around wages and conditions. CONTINUED PG 2
FROM THE S SAFETY Workers need to continue to be vigilant around their own safety and that of their workmates as time and time again we visit sites and find numerous safety concerns. This was highlighted by the incident in Launceston with a construction worker being hospitalised with major injuries after a Pfeiffers crane toppled over. Keep the lines of communication with your reps on site and organisers open. If bosses are putting profits ahead of your safety, take action and get in touch with your Union.
BEWARE DODGY LABOUR HIRE A couple of individuals are getting around thinking they can takeover the world with labour hire.
If dodgy labour hire companies show up on your jobs, call the Union.
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AUTUMN 2017
SECRETARY NYRSTAR TOE CUTTERS It seems that the owners of the smelter have finally woken up to themselves and realised that our members are not the problem. They have been carrying out reviews on their management’s ability and as a consequence heads have been rolling. We can only wait with bated breath to see who remains after they have devoured the carcass. When they get finished with eating their own, we’ll continue to push hard to consolidate wages and conditions through EBA discussions. ks A couple of warm-up drin before the mass meeting
INCOME PROTECTION The Tasmanian branch met with the board of Incolink and put a strong case forward for Incolink to provide income protection as part of the redundancy package in your EBAs. The Union knows that this is something that construction workers in Tasmania have been crying out for and we’ll continue to push hard to bring it to our membership through EBA negotiations.
NEW MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE BEGINS The newly formed Tasmanian sub-branch management committee had its first meeting early in the year. It was good to have a few delegates there as well. Resolutions were voted on and passed, then forwarded to the Branch Executive in Melbourne for a response.
THANK YOU A special mention to all those involved in EBA negotiations. Both Kevin and myself appreciate the hard work being put in supporting both of us and their workmates in trying to achieve what would be a historical moment in the Tasmanian construction industry.
Pulling backpackers off the street to put on construction sites is not something the union will stand for.
PROGRAMMED/SKILLED AUTUMN 2017
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KEV: The way forward Tasmania hasn’t seen this before in the construction industry - there’s never been this level of activity. Mass meetings of Members and protected action ballots - it is unprecedented action and it’s great to see Members fully on board and participating. It’s time for a fair deal. Two companies, H&Y and Vos have protected action ballots in and members will be in the process of putting that in place. We will be pursuing the next round of companies, being Hutchinson, Steven Little, AllBrick, Hazel Bros and the plastering contractors soon also. After each meeting where something significant comes up, we’ll be visiting members on site to keep you informed. Kevin Harkins President
MEMBERS TURN THEIR BACKS ON HANSEN YUNCKEN Members at H&Y have turned their backs on the company in response to a bullshit offer that isn’t anywhere near where we need to be for the industry and for a fair deal.
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AUTUMN 2017
NEXT GENERATION
School Visit Kev Harkins visited Rosny College to talk to VET Construction students, a couple of them have already commenced apprenticeships in the industry so it’s a good time to start talking about the role of the Union. “It’s a good opportunity, I go to schools whenever I’m asked,” says Kev. “I’m talking to the next generation of construction workers.” The industrial relations system, work health and safety, bullying and the natural power imbalance in the employment relationship were all discussed. The discussion was well received by the students and they are now better armed to enter the workplace knowing a little bit more about their rights.
CRANE ROLL IN LAUNCESTON A 40 tonne Pfeiffer mobile crane rolled on a domestic job in Trevallyn, hitting a labourer with the boom. The worker was placed in an induced coma at Launceston Hospital. This was clearly a serious incident that reminds us all of the importance of following safe work methods when operating and working with heavy plant. Only a pile of plasterboard prevented the boom from further crushing the labourer in an incident that could easily have been fatal. Worksafe Tasmania has seized the crane’s computer to investigate what may have contributed to the incident.
AUTUMN 2017
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ONSITE
HUTCHINSON JOBS
A GOOD GAMBLE AT MONA In his 10th year with Fairbrothers, there’s little doubt James Gamble is a rising talent. He finished up his apprenticeship by winning Australian Apprentice of the Year in 2012 and at just 26, James is the leading hand site foreman at the MONA job, making sure everything flows as smoothly as possible. MONA isn’t a huge job in terms of people, there will be 50-60 workers on site at its peak when the roof comes in. It is a unique job though: valued at $25 million, it’s over the water on the river and a very unique fit-out. Completion is set for November this year, but James will be off to the next job when this one moves to fit-out, his gig is structure – concrete and steel. “The boys have done the hard work before I got here,” says James. “The slabs are going up now and the structural steel.” Being over the water doesn’t faze him, “It’s just something you’ve got to think about in terms of cranes and access.” “You take on weather conditions from being on the water, including sea breezes even though it’s the river. We have to wear life jackets occasionally when working around the water, you don’t see that much.” There’s still a barge underneath the job for services and James says “trying to box it up, the formwork and so on will be a challenge over the water when it gets to the next level.”
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When asked what he does outside of work, he says it’s a six day week and he enjoys what he does. Work is life it seems, although his 1 month old baby keeps him busy when he does get home. If he wasn’t already busy, James is also the HSR on site, elected by the boys as a good communicator and because he’s trusted. A union member for 6 years, James is lucky to have always been on the bigger jobs, including RACT and NRAS. On the CFMEU, James says: “Between Richie and Kev being the backbone, they’re there for the men.” “They’re pushing the safety in Tasmania to the next level, having our backs and their being involved in the construction jobs has been a good hand.” “They make us think about what we’re doing day to day, show us their experience on prevention and we see their faces on site a lot more than we used to.” “I’m happy to walk on the job here and say we’re going home today, and that’s what matters.”
AUTUMN 2017
THE POWER OF A UNION
THE FISHERS, UNITED, WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED The power of being a CFMEU Member was demonstrated when three antiworker Liberal MPs in Braddon, Bass and Lyons lost their seats at the last federal election. It came down to a community campaign the Liberals attacked recreational fishing and that's an attack on Tasmanians and our way of life. So add the threat of a supertrawler and salmon farm expansions to the Liberal Party's attacks on our rights, wages and conditions at work and we have a potent campaign. "If it wasn't for the Australian Recreational Fishing Party and the work of Todd Lambert, Kevin Harkins, plenty of volunteers and the candidates, the Liberals wouldn't have lost those seats," says Richie Hassett.
Joffa
The 3 Amigos: GONE. "Once again, Tasmania is punching above its weight." Every second Member fishes and they got behind the campaign when it was needed. The Liberals have only just realised what's going on - that united we are powerful and can use that power to make big change. Of course now that the Liberal Party have realised the power of our Unions and the community campaign supporting recreational fishing, they're on the attack. All the attacks tell us is that we're effective. We won't be fooled by their empty words on a supertrawler ban - the Tasmanian
BRINGS A TASTE OF MELBOURNE
Shop Steward Jeff ‘Joffa’ Ryan might just be in Hobart for a bit of demolition and asbestos removal work, but he brings a lot more than that. He brings Melbourne wages and conditions to the Harris Scarfe Hutchinson and Murray St Hansen Yuncken jobs. Born in Geelong, Joffa almost qualifies as Tasmanian, but he returned home to Werribee for the extra long Easter weekend, because he’s sticking to the Melbourne RDO calendar. There will be more RDOs to come in the few weeks they have left too.
Joffa also brings a lot of experience, he’s a labourer/ excavator operator and he has 20 years as a scaffolder and 13 years working in refineries. He and his crew are here because Tasmania doesn't have suitably experienced asbestos removers, but they are training people up while they're here.
Liberal Party says CFMEU pulling strings
waters don't stretch far enough to make any difference, it's just empty words from the Liberals. Now the Liberals are saying the CFMEU are pulling the strings - well if pulling the strings gets rid of anti-worker Liberal MPs, gives recreational fishers a voice and gives our Members a strong voice in Tasmania, it's a good time to be a CFMEU Member. Recreational fishers are working people and it's a powerful collective. "We're a thorn in their side that's not going away," sums up Richie.
It’s not easy money of course. After Easter there’s probably just another 6 weeks of work but they’re doing 6 day weeks and 12 hour days. Long days are not unusual for asbestos removalists; with the protective gear and bubbles they work in, it’s 3 hours on with 1 hour breaks for 12 hours. The amenities here might not be the same level as Melbourne and there might not be a peggy, but the boys aren't complaining. Joffa’s hoping to bring some of the best that Melbourne has to offer. “We don't want to be working with blokes who aren't union,” he says. “If we can get the locals working on the same rates we have, that's only fair.” It’s Joffa’s first time in Tasmania: “It’s a pretty good town, we took the blokes out for tea, all very nice, and the weather’s been alright.” There is a personal toll though: “Some blokes have young families, so they're missing them after being here a couple of weeks.”
For the crew, they have Victorian EBA rates, plus living away allowances and it's a good gig.
AUTUMN 2017
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Alec Campbell
NOT JUST THE LAST ANZAC
A TASMANIAN, A CARPENTER AND A UNION OFFICIAL The story of Alec Campbell, known as ‘the kid’ by his army comrades when he lied about his age and enlisted aged just 16 years old, is quite well known. He became known as ‘the last ANZAC’, quite simply because he survived the longest. As he put it, he had just been one of the youngest who served at Gallopoli. Much has been made of a short but very significant year in his life when he served six weeks at Gallipoli in the dangerous job of ferrying drinking water from the beach to front line troops. The object was to survive and he did, severe illness and medical complications cut short his military career. Alec spent time recovering in Egypt and was twice charged for breaking military law; for being drunk, and for being Absent Without Leave. He returned home still just 17 years old, but a changed man.
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The rest of Alec’s story is less well known. Politically and industrially Alec was a socialist, a trade unionist, and an antifascist. One of his daughters has described him as an “enthusiastic” unionist “who put everything into it”. A carpenter, Alec worked on the first Parliament House building in Canberra and was a member of the Amalgamated Carpenters and Joiners, which became BWIU and later the CFMEU. In his home state of Tasmania, Alec was a union activist in railway workshops in Hobart and Launceston and became President of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Railways Union (1939-1941), and of Launceston Trades Hall Council (1939-42). Alec came to believe war was futile and dedicated himself to the cause of peace, yet he was a militant unionist and known as a fighter – in tough times for unionists his boxing training occasionally came in handy.
CFMEU WORKER
His story didn’t end there. Twice married Alec had nine children, the last born when he was 69. He gained an economics degree at 50, built boats and sailed in six SydneyHobart races. With union endorsement, Alec ran in the Launceston local council elections of 1941, campaigning for slum clearance, low rental public housing, anti-pollution and antimonopoly measures. Later in life he worked with the Government helping disabled war veterans and was a part time adviser to the National Heart Foundation right up to the age of 80. Alec died in 2002 aged 103, remembered not just for six weeks of service in Gallipoli, but for a full, long and inspiring life of service in so many ways.
AUTUMN 2017