SPRING 2016
BRUSHING OFF ATTACK S DELIVERING FOR MEMBE RS
#1 COME HOME SAFE
Journal of the CFMEU Victorian and Tasmanian Branch, Construction & General Division
A tribute to Cummo
10 years of work inspired by John Cummins See page 20.
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04 - 12 Executive columns 09
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
14
Election Wrap-Up
17
Dirty Business
24
21 FLOOR FAIL
12 The Libs - hanging by a thread
EBA meeting Festival Hall
18
28-31 ONSITE 32
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GANG
34
Win a Holiday
36
ANNA STEWART PROJECT
40
UK Win against Blacklisting
50
CFMEU Gun Apprentice
66
your wages
22 Deadly imports
55 workers sacked at C.U.B.
26 Mark's ice fight WIN
38 Ireland's long history of unionism
CFMEU Victorian and Tasmanian Branch, Construction & General Division Executive
Organisers and Specialist Staff Field Officers
Secretary John Setka
Gerry Benstead Nigel Davies John Duggan Paul Edwards Robert Graauwmans Steve Long Ian Markham Malcolm Smith Billy Beattie Gareth Stephenson Mark Tait (Fozzie) Theo Theodorou Mark Travers John Ayers Drew McDonald Adam Hall Toby Thornton Mark McMillan Gerry McQuaid Brendan Pitt Joe Myles John Perkovic Peter Booth Richie Hassett (TAS) Fergal Doyle Dean Dando Kane Pearson
Assistant Secretaries Shaun Reardon Elias Spernovasilis President Ralph Edwards Senior Vice President Noel Washington
CFMEU 51399
Vice President Derek Christopher
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Wage Claims Officer Frank Akbari Training Unit Coordinator Anne Duggan Teachers and Trainers Karen Odermatt Mark Devereaux Jacky Gamble Barry Kearney Jennifer Pignataro Rose Nechwatel Connie Hall Paul Allwood Owen Waiomio Craig Lynch Sue Bull Lorella DiPietro Kimberley Stewart Tony Minchin Andy Duff Dan Phelan Communications Officer Jon Stanger
Offices Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety Unit Manager Gerry Ayers Safety Officers Alex Tadic Christine Thomas Peter Clark Steve Roach WorkCover Legal Officer Neil Browne Industrial/Legal Officers Amanda Swayn Jean Maloney Joel Winters Kristen Reid India Shearer Boyd Apprentice Liaison Officer Liam O’Hearn Research & Campaigns Officer Clancy Dobbyn
Melbourne 500 Swanston St Carlton South 3053 T: (03) 9341 3444 F: (03) 9341 3427 Morwell Wing 5, Lignite Court Morwell 3840 T: (03) 5134 3311 F: (03) 5133 7058 Geelong 78 Fyans St Geelong Sth 3220 T: (03) 5229 8921 F: (03) 5223 1845 Bendigo Bendigo TLC 40 View St Bendigo 3550 T: (03) 5443 5173 F: (03) 5442 5961
Wodonga Shop 3-4, 22 Stanley St Wodonga 3690 T: (02) 6024 1099 F: (02) 6056 5565 Portland South West TLC 31 Percy St Portland 3305 T: (03) 5523 4272 F: (03) 5523 3358 Hobart 33A New Town Rd New Town 7008 T: (03) 6228 9595 F: (03) 6228 9594
vic.cfmeu.org.au
CFMEU WORKER SPRING 2016 Authorised by John Setka, Secretary CFMEU Victoria. CFMEU Worker is proudly designed by union members @ The Creative Works.
Volume 22 Number 2
T S E B E H T – EBA 2016 WINS FOR G I B ! R E V E : S R E B M E M How does the
stop exploitation INSERT COPY
and 5% Wages up: 5%, 5% s stry RDO calendar Five years of indu d RDOs Working Schedule on ns tio ric st re r Furthe cting Provisions NEW Sham Contra if caught including penalties ar for y rate up $10 per ye kl ee W n: tio ua nn Supera s the next three year CBUS Payments – Penalties for Late ployee to be paid to the Em ce Leave PAID Family Violen leave entitlements NEW Paid Parental suals engagement for ca um im in m ur ho tEigh lied prior helmets to be supp Safety boots and t to commencemen s with preference stralian Standard Au to e su Is ng hi Clot on Local Suppliers nefits from rances - weekly be su In k lin co In in Increase the agreement 500 over the life of $1 to 0 45 $1 to 0 $140 Allowance Away from Home' Increase in 'Living ances increased All Expense Allow ews Enshrined Four man Crane Cr e Building Industry The adoption of th licy. ug and Alcohol po Group endorsed Dr
EBA tackle the exploitation of Visa workers?
Employers must ensure all employees are lawfully entitled to work in Australia. No person will be allowed to undertake any work unless they have the right to work in Australia. There are dispute resolution mechanisms, and employers must maintain systems that keep records and ensure all employees are employed only within the conditions of their visas. What about registration of trades? The campaign continues to protect our work and industry by registering trades. Watch this space – more news to come soon.
While the Master Builders and their Liberal mates are out there throwing stones, we’ve been delivering for our members! John Setka
SPRING 2016
CFMEU WORKER
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INSERT from the COPY secretary
THe EBA that CFMEU COULD A mass meeting of CFMEU members on 26 May at Festival Hall unanimously endorsed the new EBA.
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ith a record number of members in attendance, we voted for another landmark agreement that delivers 5 per cent pay rises each year for three years and five years of industry RDO calendars. Hailed as the best EBA for construction workers in Australia, what is even more remarkable is that it was negotiated while the union has been under the most vicious attacks in living memory. Two years of a Royal Commission that spat out lies, arrests of officials (including myself and Assistant Secretary Shaun Reardon), a dirty campaign against the entire union by the Turnbull
04
CFMEU WORKER
Government and their FWBC, and a double dissolution election brought on by the government’s failure to introduce the ABCC was the backdrop to our EBA campaign. Make no mistake, this is class war and they had us fighting on every front: in the courts, in the parliament and in the media.
And despite everything thrown at us, we delivered. Our priority was to secure a deal before the election so that your wages and conditions were protected from attacks by a re-elected Turnbull Government. Unfortunately, they have been re-elected, but not in the way they expected. They have the slimmest of majorities and many seats were won by a few hundred votes. This has put a dampener on their ability to pass anti-worker laws as everything will have to be negotiated through a Senate that is even more unpredictable than the last one.
SPRING 2016
that ONLY THE D DELIVER
from the INSERT secretary COPY
Delivering on leave entitlements, safety and equality
There are some firsts in this agreement that I’m very proud of. There will be access to parental leave and paid family violence leave under the deal, a crackdown on sham contracting to stop the proliferation of ABNs and, for the first time, agreement in writing for four-man crane crews to improve safety. As part of our campaign to attract more women to the industry, there will be mandatory female toilets on building sites. I’m not interested in paying lip service to equality. I want to deliver concrete
changes that will make it easier for women to work in the industry and play a bigger role in the union.
We all played our part in getting this agreement and, like me, I hope you feel proud of our achievement.
For the first time, the union, in cooperation with employers, is embarking on a campaign to have our trades registered and licensed like plumbers and electricians. We are doing this to protect the trades and produce good tradespeople for the benefit of the industry and the community.
John Setka, Secretary.
There is no bigger proof of the value of CFMEU membership than the success of our EBA campaign. That we were able to deliver improved benefits for workers under such ruthless conditions is sure to make history. While we celebrate, let’s not forget about safety. Fantastic wages and conditions are not worth anything if you or your loved ones don't come home safely at night.
SPRING 2016 2016
EBA BOOKLET
COMING thSerOa smOallN We are putting toge ll help all EBA booklet that wi d their EBA an rst Members unde nditions it and the rights and co provides. portant Members play an im As signed EB eir th ng tti role in ge of us in all r and there’s a role fo let will ok bo is Th . enforcing them rta po nt help with clear and im information.
!
ur rights Know yo
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MASS
EBA MEETING FESTIVAL HALL
EBA
06
CFMEU WORKER
SPRING 2016
EBA MEETING FESTIVAL HALL
MEETING
BEST EVER EBA BRINGS THE BIGGEST EVER MEETING
SPRING 2016
CFMEU WORKER
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INSERT COPY From the president
Walking the EBA talk – step by step Ralph Edwards President
EBAs don’t just happen because we have a great meeting at Festival Hall and we unanimously endorse the offer made from a large and significant section of industry employers.
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hey don’t just happen just because your boss wants to do a new agreement and get on with business.
We don’t get a new EBA and decent wages and conditions just because we reckon we deserve it. Of course Malcolm Turnbull won’t give us anything if he has his way, and the Senate supports him wholeheartedly. In the meantime we all have to get on with the unnecessarily complicated business of getting the new EBA through a multitude of stages under the Fair Work Act and hopefully get everyone paid the EBA outcomes before the Senate can give Turnbull the anti-union measures he’s planning. Some bosses just want to give a pay rise and make the whole matter go away. Not if our good mate Nigel Hadgkiss and the ABCC/FWBC have their way; they have already told some bosses like Kane that they cannot pay an increase outside a certified EBA. This period, after the company and its employees have done all five stages of the EBA certification process and the agreement can be legally enforceable, is up to eight weeks. It’s a process they say can’t be avoided. So, fellow workers, if you want the new agreement and you want it to be legally enforceable then you need to get off your proverbial and start putting
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the pressure on your boss to get the needlessly complicated process underway. Immediately.
Step 1 First up, demand that the boss does what the Fair Work Act requires of them: issue the Notice of Representative Rights. This requires the boss to notify you that they are prepared to negotiate a new agreement with the union and that unless you tell him something different the union will represent you. This doesn’t happen = no agreement. This notice has to be issued three weeks (21 days) before you are allowed to vote for your new wages and conditions.
cop on the beat’ – and people wonder why there are so many non-EBA builders and crooks running around the industry, ripping people off, avoiding tax and getting rich at every worker’s expense. The union has and will do its best to have an impact on behalf of members and protect wages and conditions – not an even battle thanks to successive governments. But the union is only going to win this EBA campaign if members stand up, put pressure on their boss and builders generally, and be prepared to fight on however long the battle. We don’t get a choice, so let’s get on with it.
Steps 2 & 3 The boss has to give you a copy of the proposed agreement (not the union) seven days before the vote. Only then can a meeting take place where you can actually vote on your new agreement.
Step 4 Once you have voted the boss signs the document and then and only then the union can sign it for you or there is no valid agreement. It is then submitted to the Fair Work Commission to be approved. Once the FWC has approved each and every agreement then we will finally have a legally valid and enforceable EBA for the industry.
Happy days Stuff up one step of this process and you have to start all over again, regardless that the boss and the employees want the new EBA. This is the result of the industrial relations laws passed and implemented by the Rudd and Gillard governments – and they were supposed to be on our side. Add the ABCC/FWBC as the industrial policeman – quote Julia Gillard ‘a strong
CFMEU WORKER
SPRING 2016
PHEONEXING ON STEROIDS
s s e Gu s ’ who ? k c ba icn i d a N k Fran A Current n exposed o015. Affair inn’t2seen it,
this rk for o w t '
e If you hav re: tch up he a c n a you c xstra bit.ly/ma
CFMEU organiser Nigel Davies was driving past a service station site in Ballarat’s northwestern suburb of Wendouree and noticed several safety concerns, so he stopped for a closer look. Caught red-handed
! E R A BEW
guy
Don
affected. However, Nigel filmed the whole thing on his phone, and the camera doesn’t lie!
companies that have gone under and ripped people off in the process.
We won’t be intimidated and Nigel had plenty of time to record a long list of safety issues on Frank’s grubby site:
A string of failed companies in his wake
insufficient facilities
Maxstra – handed over to Frank’s son Andrew, who drives a Maserati. Notorious for not paying their bills and their subcontractors
no power to sheds (in cold Ballarat, no heating)
HiCom Constructions – formerly Maxstra
worker spotted accessing a trench in an excavator bucket
Royal Como – broke. Director: Frank Nadinic
no access/egress
Guess who he found there? The infamous Frank Nadinic. He’s operating as Octane Australia there, struggling to find people to work for him. Those who are considering taking a job with Octane Australia or any other connected company should consider the history carefully.
fall-from-height risks
Nigel Davies got the usual treatment from Frank – he was assaulted and physically pushed off the site. Frank called the police and made false accusations on the phone, including that Nigel was drug-
Is Octane Australia (High Octane?) just another company setup to burn workers and subbies? We’ll find out soon enough. It certainly follows the same appalling safety record as previous connected
unstable excavations no traffic management plant and workers not separated no side supports in deep excavations.
SPRING 2016
Andeco – broke. Director: Frank Nadinic Question Projects – Director: Andrew Nadinic Octane Australia – Director: Frank Nadinic (formerly Maxstra)
Thugs, threats, fear and financial ruin. I lost $250,000 with Maxstra. It makes me very angry. That he can do this to families and he just doesn’t care. It’s ruined me. I’ve had to remortgage my wife’s house to pay bills that belong to him.
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from the assistant secretary
YOUR SAFETY: WHY WE ARE HERE Elias Spernovasilis Assistant Secretary
This year has seen some very serious safety incidents on sites in Victoria, alerting us to the need for vigilance on safety.
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e started the year with a fatality in Carlton that touched friends, family and workmates alike. A form worker fell when a makeshift work platform he was working on in a lift/riser shaft gave way. He fell approximately 20 meters and died at the scene. It was tragic and, worse of all, it was avoidable. A month later in February, a tower crane caught fire in Prahran. Luckily, most of the workers had been sent home because of the high temperatures that day, and there were no workers or management in and around the crane area. Due to the extreme heat of the fire the boom collapsed onto the side street, completely wrecking the boom and damaging a number of cars and trees. No one was injured, but there are valuable lessons to be learnt.
Get advice from your safety rep The union is dedicated to protecting your safety and wellbeing. Our trained health and safety representatives on site deal with safety breaches on jobs every day. However, it is incumbent on all workers to take care in their duties. Don’t take risks, don’t cut corners. If you’re in doubt, get advice from the safety rep on the job. That’s their role. It was a CFMEU steward who blew the whistle on imported products containing asbestos on a job in Brisbane last month. He did a simple google search on a product he was suspicious about and found it contained the cancer-causing substance. This was followed by the discovery of asbestos on a site in Perth, where the same company, Yuanda, was supplying the builder.
Yuanda imported the materials from China, supplying them to sites all over Australia. It is a timely reminder that we can make no allowances for this deadly product. Free trade agreement or not, any products
Don’t take risks, don’t cut corners. If you’re in doubt, get advice from the safety rep on the job. being imported must be heavily scrutinised and proven to be safe and non-hazardous before they are allowed to be used on sites. The delegate on that job in Brisbane has potentially saved lives. That’s the work of the CFMEU. As for everyone else, I ask one simple thing: Don’t put your own health in jeopardy and get support from us if you need it.
That’s why we’re here.
Wage
Hunters
The CFMEU has recovered $18.6 million of stolen wages and entitlements in 3 years. We built this city and we create the profits. CFMEU Members don’t work for nothing.
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II India Shearer Boyd - Industrial/ Legal Officer
II Frank Akbari - Wage Claims Officer
II Amanda Swayn - Industrial/Legal Officer
CFMEU WORKER
If you think you’re not getting paid right, contact the CFMEU on
9341 3444. SPRING 2016
safety alert
INSERT COPY
Tower Cranes: Internal Climbers Alert By Dr Gerry Ayers, CFMEU Safety Unit manager.
Following the collapse of an internal climbing crane in Southbank in August 2015, Worksafe have issued advice to industry. Regarding the installation and climbing of internal climbing tower cranes: The builder should ensure the structural strength and integrity of the concrete lift shaft including jacking pockets / penetrations have been assessed to ensure that the lift shaft has been designed and constructed to sustain the applied loads. This should include a documented survey of the jackingbeam pockets / penetrations to ensure their alignment and level is within the specified design tolerance for the jacking system used (shimming as necessary may be required via engineered design). There should be documented prepour verification that the concrete reinforcement is as per design, and the poured concrete strength is to the specified MPA for the concrete core/shaft.
The installer or supplier should check and confirm with the designer or a suitably competent person that the jacking-beam assembly meets dimensional, strength and manufacturing / fabrication specifications prior to installation and first use. Prior to each climb the climbing system should be inspected for structural damage or failure including member distortions and weld failures. The installer should check and confirm with the builder that the jacking-beam pockets / penetrations meet dimensional specifications. The climbing sequence should be performed in strict accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
measurements to ensure correct and full engagement of the jacking beams with the lift wall pockets / penetrations is within tolerance specified for each jacking beam. Alternatively the administrative process of measuring engagement can be replaced by the fixing and use of alarmed proximity switches at all contact points of the jacking beams to the lift shaft wall that will verify there is adequate interaction/engagement between the jacking beams and the lift shaft walls. The above points are provided as guidance in addition to the ongoing requirement for inspection and maintenance as may be specified by the manufacturer of specific systems or the relevant standard.
The installer/competent person should conduct an inspection and take
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INSERT COPY
From the ASSISTANT Secretary
EVERY REASON TO BE PROUD
Shaun Reardon Assistant Secretary
The bad news is that the Turnbull Government has been returned, albeit with a razor-thin majority.
A
lthough an election was called over the Senate’s failure to pass the Australian Building and Construction Commission Bill, Turnbull barely mentioned it in the mammoth eight-week campaign, saving it only for his angry election night speech. He has since said that he will introduce the Bill in a double sitting of parliament, although there is no guarantee that it will pass with a Senate that is more unpredictable than the previous one.
We made a real difference While the Coalition has been returned, voters sent a strong message that they were not overjoyed with the last three years of the Abbott-Turnbull Government. Unions around the country, including CFMEU officials and members in every state, campaigned strongly on health, on education and for jobs. The good news is that our campaign made a difference. We brought the government to its knees. On election night, many politicians spoke about these issues being at the forefront of people’s concerns. We were the ones who initiated the conversation and we were the ones who kept reminding people of the Coalition’s dismal record on delivering for ordinary working people, of their war against unions, and of their agenda to destroy rights and protections. We have every reason to be proud of the hard work over the election campaign. In the seats where unions campaigned on issues of equality, penalty rates,
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We were the ones who kept reminding people of the Coalition’s dismal record on delivering for ordinary working people.
u b n r u t the
n a H r h t
Medicare, apprenticeships, jobs and infrastructure, there was a swing away from the government.
Sneaky tactics Immigration minister Peter Dutton, who just managed to get across the line in his seat after suffering a 5.8 per cent swing, blamed union thugs, bikies and activists. He singled out the CFMEU for calling people about Medicare, labelling this as ‘sneaky tactics’, although it was his government that was caught with their sneaky plans to privatise Medicare. We have been called a lot of things by this government, but ‘sneaky’ doesn’t quite fit. After all, we’ve made no secret that we believe in equality and fairness and a country that delivers for everyone, not just for the rich. And we will continue to fight for these things, whoever is in power.
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election day
door knocking
R ank-and-file members dedicated hours to door knocking and having conversations in margina l seats, particularly in the southeastern suburbs and Corangamite We knocked on more than 5,00 0 doors during two major weeken d blitzes
M ore than 60 booths were staffed by the CFMEU across 11 seats in Victoria In excess of 180 delega tes & volunteers staffed booths across the Victorian marginal seats on election day
Special Mentions T he Geelong crew, coordinated by Peter Booth, bent over backwards to help the campaign in Corangamite
To the organisers and delegates who live north of Melbourne – thanks for your ongoing support of Lisa Chesters in Bendigo
We thank all those who put in big efforts to support the Deakin, La Trobe and Dunkley campaigns, led by Gerry McCrudden, Eamonn Wolfe and Fergal Doyle
A shout out to the Young Activists who put their shoulders to the wheel
II Union members doing us proud on the campaign trail.
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members e called thousands of W oss acr ts in seven marginal sea 90 th wi , nia ma Victoria and Tas the t pu to ing itt per cent comm Liberals last
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From the national secretary
We’ll fight them – every step of the way wrap-up Michael O’Connor National Secretary
The Turnbull Government has managed to crawl over the line in their double dissolution election of 2016, called as a result of the Senate’s refusal to pass the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) legislation.
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he result of the election was a shock to Turnbull, who expected to win handsomely due to his own overblown belief in his abilities. His speech on election night, when it was still unclear that they could win a majority and form government,
Election
showed a man in denial. Instead of accepting the message that he had been delivered by the voters of the country, he was recalcitrant and petulant. He justified his great idea to call a double dissolution – only to get exactly what he didn’t want: more independent and small parties in the Senate. As veteran journalist Michelle Grattan wrote, Turnbull’s argument on the night, that the double dissolution had to be called to tackle lawlessness in the construction industry, was ‘facile’ given that it barely rated a mention in the entire Liberal campaign. Rather than blame voters for not giving him the overwhelming majority that he
wanted, he might have done better to think about what he offered them – or rather what he didn’t offer them. After all, the Coalition’s plan in the eight-week campaign amounted to little more than company tax cuts.
An unprecedented union push The CFMEU worked very hard and ran an enthusiastic grassroots campaign in every state and territory. From the union’s point of view it was unprecedented. Unprecedented in the record number of volunteers from our union who knocked on doors, phoned people, stood on railway platforms and handed out how-to-vote cards on the day. We also devoted a lot of funds to raise awareness on the issues that we consider
young activists on th Terry McNamara I spent election day at polling booths in Berwick and Richmond, putting up posters, banners and handing out flyers to members of the public. I got a few funny looks whenever I said ‘Keep jobs in Australia’ due to my thick Irish accent, but this is something I believe in. I don’t want our working conditions undermined by workers from overseas who are being underpaid and exploited. I was very nervous on the day that the
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Liberals would win by a big margin. Everything that they wanted to do to the working class and the unions would destroy what’s good about Australia: that people get a fair go. At the end of it, I was slightly relieved, although who knows what will happen with the new Senate. I noticed that people didn’t want Turnbull or Shorten. Turnbull is no different from Abbott. Their views are the same. They’ve made it clear whose side they’re on. As for Labor, they need to come out stronger about being on the side of working people. During the campaign, most workers on site were concerned about whether they would
CFMEU WORKER
still get a 5 per cent increase. Many of them couldn’t understand why the election was so important for the union. I had many conversations. I’m not sure what effect I had, but I changed one person’s mind, so I achieved something. I liked being involved in the campaign and doing something to protect and improve our rights.
We will continue to campaign in the workplace and in the community for the protection of workers’ rights. important – fairness, equality, workers’ rights, health, education and infrastructure – through free and paid media. We didn’t win but we rattled this government badly. This is an insecure government and I won’t be surprised if this government doesn’t run a full term. We’re working to make sure that they don’t get a free run in the Senate and we will make life as difficult as possible for them when they continue their attacks on workers and unions.
What went wrong A lot has been said about the success of the minor parties in this election. People are
clearly disenchanted and voting for minor parties as they feel the major parties are not listening to them on issues that affect their day-to-day lives. I believe that the ALP would attract more voters if they adopted more strident policies on the issues that we advocate such as free trade agreements and the implications for jobs, and a better position on the various visa regimes and apprenticeships. Labor adopted a good policy on apprenticeships – to mandate numbers for more apprentices on government projects – which was an issue that Dave Noonan has pursued vigorously within the party. But Labor could go further and do more on all these issues in order to bring back the disaffected working class vote that has gone to minor parties.
Looking forward We will continue to work within the party for improvements in these areas and we will continue to campaign in the workplace and in the community for the protection of workers’ rights. There is a great deal of uncertainty about the new parliament and, in particular, the Senate. What we can be certain about is that the Turnbull Government will continue its pre-election plans to make cuts to Medicare, to give handouts to the big end of town and to cut pay and conditions through anti-union laws. The other certainty is that the CFMEU will be fighting them every step of the way. Michael O’Connor
he campaign trail Gerry McCrudden
Although initially nervous about knocking on people’s doors and calling them up, I loved being part of the election campaign. In my mind, the fact that we opened people’s eyes about really important things affected the result of the campaign. I was shocked by the number of people I met who you could tell were not wealthy and had health problems who told us they were voting Liberal and slammed the door in our face. People are really uneducated
about politics and they’re electing people who are going to make life a whole lot worse for them.
We have to do a lot more to educate people. I use social media a lot to spread the message, but it’s hard to compete with the Murdoch press when so many people read the Herald Sun. Even so, every person counts and, leading up to the election, I watched all the debates and the current affairs programs so I was well equipped when talking to people. I would talk about Medicare and all the things that the Liberals have already done that most people just don’t know. So many people told us that health, education and jobs were the most important issues in the
SPRING 2016
election and yet so many people knew next to nothing about what Turnbull had done in these areas and what he was planning to do. I told them about the cuts to TAFE and the shocking truth about privatisation of health and the shocking effects of it around the world. So many workers asked me, Why is the CFMEU so political? I told them it was unions who started the Labor Party and if it wasn’t for us the Liberals would have romped it in. We made a difference.
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INSERT COPY
s e i d a r T l Rea
ash m s s ’ l l u b n r u T
’ e i d a r T e ‘Fak TV ad
The Liberal Party’s laughable TV ad with an awkward bloke wearing suspiciously clean ‘tradie’ clothes sitting on a tool bench outside a building site was immediately the subject of jokes and ridicule.
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here were so many problems – how many real tradies want to protect the big banks that have been caught ripping off customers and rorting the system for profit? When Malcolm Turnbull is waging war on working people, particularly those in construction, who thinks it is anyone but the Liberal Party and their big business mates that threaten our jobs? Then of course there was the safety issues, his expensive watch, rusty tools and so much more. Within hours, the internet was full of jokes and spoofs mocking Turnbull’s disastrous TV ad.
Who was the fake tradie? Andrew MacCrae Lives in Sydney’s Lane Cove where the median price of a three-bedroom property is $1.475m. Has owned a company called 'Teamwork Maintenance' for 20 years Connected to the Real Estate industry
launched just over 24 hours after Liberal Party ad first came on TV. Two days later a 30 second TV version of the ad was screening nationally in prime time on Masterchef, The Project and during Game 2 State of Origin. People loved the ‘Real Tradies’ response – here’s what we achieved:
1,258,000 views on Facebook 90,000 views on YouTube 23,600 views on John Setka’s Twitter alone Thousands more views on Instagram, Twitter & other channels. Millions of people saw the TV ad version.
I just want a fair-go, dinki-di, VB, cricket, Shannon Noll, BBQ crack at my negatively geared 8th property!
The Liberals had left real working people out of their ad and it was an obvious opportunity for CFMEU Members to respond and have their say. A video featuring CFMEU Members telling Malcolm Turnbull what ‘Real Tradies’ thought of his anti-worker policies was
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CFMEU WORKER
WATCH THE ‘REAL TRADIES’ RESPONSE: bit.ly/RealTradies or go to youtube.com/cfmeuvic
SPRING 2016
DIRTY BUSINESS WHEN HIRING A MACHINE AND AN OPERATOR ON A SATURDAY WORKS OUT CHEAPER THAN A LABOURER ON THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW THERE’S A PROBLEM.
IT’S TIME TO PUSH BACK
Mayb e shoul ACCC at pric d look e by pla fixing n comp t hire a inste nies ad chasi ng un of ions!
FAIR RATES
Agencies are dictating rates that are driving owner operators & earth moving businesses to the wall. After inflation, rates in 2016 are less than they were 10 years ago. BOBCATS: RATES CUT $6 IN 10 YEARS EXCAVATORS: RATES CUT UP TO $11 IN 10 YEARS
CHECK WHAT OPERATORS ARE BEING PAID! OVERTIME AND WEEKEND RATES ARE UNDER THREAT. REAL COSTS: AGENCY RATE
REAL COST *
5T EX & OP
$69
$120
8T EX & OP
$74
$135
20T EX & OP
$102
$165
* EBA operator rates ordinary hours, does NOT include CBUS, Incolink, Allowances, GST & extra costs (fuel, maintenance, etc.)
YOUR SAFETY AT RISK
WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR: KINGSTON PLANT HIRE EASTERN PLANT HIRE (EPH) LANTRAK SOUTHERN PLANT HIRE FLEET PLANT HIRE
OPERATORS FORCED TO CUT CORNERS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. FORCED TO USE MACHINES AS CRANES PUTTING LIVES AT RISK AND CRANE CREW OUT OF JOBS - NO TICKETS, NO RIGGERS. MAINTENANCE CUT BACKS CREATES HIGH RISK TO WORKERS
THE CFMEU IS COMMITTED TO FAIR RATES AND PROTECTING WORKERS LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS. PH. 9341 3444
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trashing aussie jobs
Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) sacked 55 electricians and fitters without notice in a premeditated, vicious attack.
The invitation to apply for a job: came with no guarantees would be on individual contracts would be covered by a barely compliant non-union EBA would result in a massive loss of terms and conditions, including an approximate 65 per cent reduction in monetary entitlements.
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he workers were then ‘invited’ to reapply for their jobs via a company called Catalyst Recruitment, which is in the Programmed/Skilled Group. Knowing that its greedy money-grabbing actions would not go down well with the workers and their unions, CUB had sneakily prearranged a company called ‘5 Star Electrical Services’ to provide replacement workers at rates that severely undercut the sacked workers.
So CUB, just like Patricks during the Waterfront dispute, is ridding itself of its committed union workers and hard-fought terms and conditions and replacing them with a temporary cheap non-union labour force. CUB and Programmed/Skilled are trying to force the sacked workers to forgo their work/life balance and existing terms and conditions in order to ‘maybe’ get some form of their job back. These long-time and loyal CUB workers
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are holding firm against this unprovoked attack on their jobs and rights – and Victorian unions will stand with them all the way. Having had their livelihoods ripped away from them overnight, these workers have been left with no way to support their families or meet their commitments.
Make no mistake, if we don’t win this dispute, and we will, CFMEU workers at CUB will be next. How do we know? Our EBA campaign with CUB last year revealed their desire to cut wages and conditions, bust workers unions and take more profit from the hard work of members. This is all from a multi-national beer conglomerate that made a $4 billion profit in 2015-16 and whose CEO, Alan Clark, is likely to take a $96 million payout this year.
You can help support these workers as they resist this attack on their rights – and on your rights... see over.
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SHOW YOUR
SUPPORT
HERE’S HOW Boycott C.U.B. products, including these brands:
SABMiller Guide to Tax Dodging Australian Revenue: $2,078,382,157 Tax Paid: $0 Global profits: A$3.2 billion a year Owns over 200 brands 2nd biggest brewer in the world and number 1 in Africa 65 tax haven companies, more than it has breweries and bottling plants in Africa Siphons profits out of Africa, taking desperately needed money away from poor countries Ripping off poor countries in Africa to the tune of A$32 million a year Source: actionaid.org
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Victoria Bitter VB Gold Carlton Draught Carlton Mid Carlton Dry Carlton Cold Carlton Black Cascade Pale Ale Cascade Stout Cascade Premium Light Cascade Draught Cascade Bitter Crown Lager Pure Blonde Fosters Light Ice Matilda Bay Redback Beer Dogbolter Dark Ale Alpha Pale Ale Fat Yak Lazy Yak Great Northern Super Crisp Power’s Gold Reschs Grolsch Pilsner Urquell Peroni Miller Strongbow Mercury Bulmers Redd’s Apple Ale Abbotsford Invalid Stout Sheaf Stout
OR Make a donation to support the sacked workers Deposit funds directly into the CUB Dispute bank account BSB: 063-626 Acc: 10629111. Use your membership number as the description Visit the community protest at the CUB Abbotsford Brewery site, Southampton Cres, Abbotsford.
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INSERT COPY cummo 1oth anniversary
a TRIBUTE to cummo 10 years of work inspired by John Cummins This year marks the 10th anniversary of the John Cummins Memorial Fund – set up in 2006 to honour the life and work of CFMEU and Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) leader John Cummins.
at the age of 58 due to brain cancer was mourned by thousands of people who took to the streets to march in his memory and to pay respect to the role he had in improving the lives of working people.
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The life-changing work of the foundation
ohn was an inspirational leader in his union and his community. His life was characterised by his dedication to working people and the underdog in their quest for social justice and equality. ‘Dare to struggle, Dare to win’ was the catchcry by which he identified himself and inspired a generation of workers, unionists and activists to believe in the strength of collective action. John was a strategic thinker and was instrumental in bringing the BLF and the Building Workers Industrial Union (BWIU) together to form the CFMEU, working then to build the powerhouse union it is today. His untimely death
‘Dare to struggle, Dare to win’ was the catchcry by which John identified himself 020
The John Cummins Memorial Fund – an initiative of his family, friends, former colleagues and with the generous support of the CFMEU – was set up to honour his life by helping those in need.
The aim of the foundation is to raise funds to support: the wellbeing of cancer patients diagnosed with a brain tumour social inclusion of young people experiencing financial disadvantage through funding the Dare to Dream scholarship program and targeted team sporting activities. Scholarships are awarded annually for secondary students in years 7 to 11 for students who are experiencing financial disadvantage and who strive to achieve their potential. Since 2007, when the scholarship program began, the fund has awarded 264 scholarships to secondary students in schools in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria to the tune of $222,929. John’s widow, Di Cummins, who is at the helm of the fund, says that 10 years on, it has surpassed her expectations.
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‘The scholarship program which started in the northern suburbs has now spread to metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.’ In partnership with Austin Health the fund established the unique Brain Tumour Support Service, which has so far received $516,606 from the John Cummins Fund. The primary objective of the service is to facilitate individual support and programs for brain tumour patients and their families. A participant in the support service said she was grateful for what it provided. ‘This is my other family,’ she said. ‘At home I try to stay strong for my family. Here I can talk about anything: life expectancy and other deeply important matters.’
Invaluable support from the CFMEU Di says that the thing that stands out for her is that the fund would not exist without the support of the CFMEU. ‘The valuable work we do for so many would not be possible without the CFMEU and the rest of the union movement. In particular, I am grateful to the rank-and-file members who are a big part of the fundraising we coordinate every year.’ She tells a story of walking into a café in inner Melbourne last year where she spotted a CFMEU member wearing a hoodie with ‘Cummo’ on it. ‘I said to him, “I like your hoodie”. He then turned around and said, “This is John Cummins. He was a legend.” I laughed and told him who I was. ‘He still sells raflle tickets for the fund on his job.’ ‘I feel that the fund is embedded in the progressive community of the construction industry, in no small thanks to the CFMEU.’
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DEADLY IMPORTS
FIND LEADS T ACTION AROU AUSTRALIA
The CFMEU issued a national alert to all builders in the industry after a CFMEU OHS rep discovered asbestos material being used on a site in Brisbane.
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orkers have been exposed to the gasket material, which was imported from China and produced by a company called Yuanda, without any knowledge that it contained asbestos. National Secretary Michael O’Connor spoke publicly on the issue, saying it was unacceptable that 13 years after the ban on use and importation of asbestos in Australia it is still finding its way into the country. ‘We all know how serious the issue of exposure to asbestos is,’ he said. ‘This is a lethal product that has been proven to cause cancer.’ Asbestos was also found on the Children’s Hospital site in Perth after the CFMEU demanded an investigation on all sites that Yuanda had supplied to.
Demanding answers from the government Mr O’Connor said that the union has been calling for action from the federal government on the importation
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II Perth hospital worksite
of building materials and nothing has happened. ‘There are growing fears about the importation of unsafe and poisonous building materials that pose a risk not only to workers, but to the community.
‘The government has sat on its hands while people’s lives are being put at risk.’ The union wrote to all state governments to obtain information from Yuanda about products that the company has supplied. Mr O’Connor also sought a meeting with immigration minister Peter Dutton, demanding action from the government.
‘The system has failed workers and the community. We face a situation where asbestos could be present in buildings – including children’s hospitals – without our knowledge,’ he said. ‘We are completely in the dark about who has been exposed and where.’ Mr O’Connor said the issue of illegal importation of unsafe and poisonous building products has been raised in parliament, was the subject of a Senate inquiry and made the front page of a national newspaper in the last 12 months, without an appropriate response from the government.
The CFMEU will continue to demand action from the government on dangerous imported materials.
Yuanda also failed in its legal obligations to provide documentation about any product that is exported to Australia.
‘We want to know what action the government intends to take against Yuanda, given that they have broken the law.
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II A piece of asbestos found at the Perth Hospital
DEADLY IMPORTS
TO UND Site delegate detected the deadly material
Ron Patton’s story My name’s Ron and I worked as a bricklayer for over thirty years. We worked on kilns, furnaces, all over Australia. You spend a lot of time away from home, from your wife and kids, travelling around with other brickies.
It was only the work of the CFMEU site delegate and safety representative that unearthed the asbestos after he investigated the material in the course of his duties.
Bricklayers, we’ve got a terrific sense of humour, always joking around. You run into each other years later on another job, they become your family.
Mr O’Connor was full of praise for the actions of the delegate.
I know how I’m going to die, I’m going to suffocate. Asbestosis suffocates you slowly.
‘He did the right thing and immediately alerted all workers on site, the employer and union safety officers. It shows the value of having a union-trained delegate on site who is there to look out for the safety of workers,’ he said.
The union will keep fighting The CFMEU will continue to demand action from the government on dangerous imported materials. Yuanda is a large company that has supplied products to 69 major projects throughout Australia – many of them completed. ‘After all the work that has been done over decades of struggle by unions and the community to put an end to all the painful suffering and death of so many people, we don’t want to be in a position where we are back where we started, 30, 40 years ago,’ said Mr O’Connor.
Giving up ice hockey, that was tough. I was really good at it. Now it takes me all day to get around the garden to water the plants. Every time I go to another mate’s funeral, it’s like losing one of your own. I went to 6 funerals in 6 months, and I missed some because I was too sick myself. I’m sick of going to funerals.
Fergal Doyle has known Ron for 30 years. ‘I worked with Ronnie both in the refractory sector and in the commercial bricklaying sector,’ says Fergal. Ron invited Fergal to his first brickies union branch meeting in Melbourne. ‘Ronnie was an activist for the union and was upfront about his rights and conditions. At times he suffered for being a good trade unionist.’ Always there at rallies, feet on the ground when needed, the CFMEU recognises his significant contribution. The Union always made sure he was looked after and helped Ronnie find his last few peggy jobs. We look forward to seeing Ronnie at the retired members Christmas function where he is always a great presence. Continuing his activist role, Ronnie has a petition to stop the importation of asbestos into Australia. Please join with him and sign it here:
bit.ly/ stopasbestos
‘We have a long, sorry history of asbestos exposure in this country, the repercussions of which are still being felt generations on. ‘And so we should all demand that the government acts to enforce the law and stop putting our health in danger.’
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21 FLOOR FAIL
Concrete pa Safety regulators rely on workers and their representatives to report incidents before they attend and enforce the law.
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adly in many cases it has only been the death of a worker, a serious injury or workers ceasing work under the Work Health and Safety Act that has caused the regulator to attend and act. An incident in Sydney highlighted this problem recently at a Richard Crookes building site at Bondi Junction in the heart of the federal electorate of Wentworth: Malcolm Turnbull’s electorate. The building is close to completion, with the scaffold/ screens being stripped and equipment removed. It is at this stage of a building project where long hours are worked and everyone is rushing to get the project finished for the next contracted stage. Penalties apply if the work is not finished on time.
The incident On Tuesday 22 June one of the screens being moved by the crane brushed the side of the building. This is usually not an issue, except that the screen lifted and dislodged a 400kg concrete panel that then fell 21 floors, missing two plumbers and members of the public by less than two metres. This is at one of the busiest intersections in Bondi Junction, with people walking past every minute. The concrete panels were custom designed and manufactured in China,
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and held on by gravity on a 25mm metal support bracket. The panels were installed after modification by the responsible engineer overseeing installation of the panels. There was no measure in the design to prevent forces operating opposite to gravity from lifting the panels, and this may pose risks into the future.
There has been a series of near deaths as a result of falling objects off highrise commercial buildings such as: Formwork ply off 1 Bligh Street – Grocon project Timber panel off Hilton refurbishment project 10kg rivet off Commonwealth Bank Martin Place refurbishment – Grocon project Hammer at Barangaroo Lend Lease site Fall of 2m piece of bondeck – Lipman North West Sydney Slewing cog off crane at Parkview – Olympic Park.
The response When informed of the incident the unions initiated a safety investigation and sent officers to the site. When they got to the site they were told by the site manager that the job was recommencing, as SafeWork had authorised it without coming to the site. The manager even produced a SafeWork letter authorising the recommencement of work stating ‘a lightweight panel was knocked by a screen being moved by a crane which fell approximately 21 storeys in an exclusion zone’. It was clear that the panel was not lightweight and unions believe that workers were working in the exclusion zone. Union officers made a recommendation to distraught workers; a decision that would set up Malcolm Turnbull’s ABCC investigating members and their union for likely prosecutions. In fact the manager said, ‘You won’t be coming back after July 4’, referring to Malcolm Turnbull’s commitment to get the ABCC legislation through if the government won the election.
II One of the 25mm supports that the 400kg concrete panel was placed on.
the Work Health and Safety Act until SafeWork carried out an inspection. SafeWork NSW inspectors did arrive, put a prohibition on the job site and made a series of recommendations including a requirement that an engineer inspect all panels and amend systems of work. The site was closed for several days.
Safety punished Initial investigations have found that 25mm brackets are uncommon in the industry and that concerns had been raised about this design. Only due to the incident and cease work
Workers should not be subject to ABCC interrogation for ceasing work when a finished building has 400kg concrete panels falling off the side of it. The workers undertook a cease work action (stop work) under
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21 FLOOR FAIL
anel d II Note the pedestrian walkway and lack of hoarding to protect pedestrians and workers.
II Point of impact right next to a pedestrian walkway.
by the workers did we stop the risk of someone being killed by a faulty system, be they a worker, a potential occupant of the building, or just a person walking past. Another panel has since been removed from the top of the building.
Symbolic of how the industry works to punish safety, the plumbing company that narrowly avoided losing two of its workers to the falling panel has been issued a ‘delay notice’, meaning the builder is trying to recoup money from the plumbing company for notifying the union and the regulator of the safety concerns.
II View from where plumbers were working at the point of impact.
Some questions for the NSW regulator: W here did the ‘lightweight panel’ and ‘exclusion zone’ references come from when it clearly was not either? W hy is the SafeWork regulator not attending notifiable incidents?
II SafeWork NSW says no problem - we'll leave you to it.
H ow can the SafeWork
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regulator triage a 400kg falling object from the 21st storey of a commercial building without attending? Why do workers have to undertake a cease work action under the Work Health and Safety Act before SafeWork will attend a worksite? In the event of the reintroduction of Turnbull’s ABCC with increased powers, what assurances can be given to workers and their representatives to ensure they can undertake the same actions when necessary to ensure nobody is harmed?
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Koori surf titles
‘They need more ice to feel normal.’ Mark was so immersed in taking ice that little else affected or touched him.
Mark Dryden’s addiction to ice started with the break-up of his marriage. In order to block the pain he was feeling as a result of losing his wife, Mark told himself that he needed a pick-up. ‘I had hit rock bottom when my wife told me she wanted out. We’d been together for years, got married and then seven months later it was all over. It was the last thing I expected,’ he says.
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t was a terrible time and in order to cope emotionally, I tried some ice and it was great at the start. It made me happy. You think you’re a gun when you’re on it and it was just what I needed.
In denial about his addiction What he didn’t realise at the time was how addictive it was. He admits that, for a long time, he was in denial. Initially, it gave him a lot of energy. He could stay up all night and work the next day without any problem. The life of the confident, chatty construction worker would soon spiral out of control, but it took time for him to admit it. ‘I crashed cars because I fell
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asleep at the wheel. I turned to crime because it was costing me a lot of money and sending me broke. My mate died of an overdose and after the funeral I went out to do drugs,’ he says. ‘None of that motivated me to change. You’d think if your mate died from an overdose, it might make you sit up and take stock of what you’re doing. But I just kept using.’
A very hard habit to kick Associate Professor at the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction at Flinders University, Nicole Lee, says not everyone who uses ice will become addicted, but once you become dependent, it’s very difficult to get off it. ‘This is because of the significant brain changes from methamphetamine use. The drug targets the dopamine system in the brain and when ice users stop using they feel flat, jumpy and anxious and have cravings.
‘One day in July last year I was having a chat with my father and he asked me what the problem was. I told him straight out and he broke down,’ Mark recalls. ‘The thing is I didn’t care. I was just focused on getting my next hit.’ He seems surprised at himself when he narrates this incident, but he wants to explain the devastating effects of ice and how it plays havoc with one’s emotions.
When I asked for help, everyone was there for me, including the union.
and I slept for four days,’ he says. ‘Sleeping a lot is one of the symptoms of coming off the drug.’ On Wednesday morning when he was supposed to go to work, he woke up at 11 am. Panic stricken, he knew that he needed help and that’s when his life began to turn around.
Getting the help he needed ‘You think you can do it on your own. You can’t. You think no one can help you or that no one will understand, but when I asked for help, everyone was there for me, including the union.’ Mark decided that he needed to get away from Geelong, where he lived, if he had any chance of giving up. Another Geelong resident, Dan Lee, had recently come back from Thailand where he had spent two months at the Dara clinic.
Deciding to turn his life around Surprisingly, the trigger for Mark to stop using was the threat of losing his job. He had already been given warnings due to turning up to work late. He didn’t want to lose his job because it was the one semblance of normality he had left. So he took it upon himself to give up. ‘It was a lock-down weekend
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ICE FIGHT WIN Getting help with ice addiction in Australia is expensive, with long waiting lists, and Thailand seemed like a viable option. The CFMEU, along with family and friends, chipped in funds. Mark spent 56 days at Dara, which he describes as a time where he learned about himself. Every minute of every day was scheduled with activities and therapy. Mark says crucial components of his treatment was the writing of his own obituary and his goodbye letter to the drug. ‘I have to move on with my life,’ he had written. ‘I’m not going to miss you. I fought many people over you and lied to protect you. You made me feel like I needed you always and you made me panic when you left me. ‘I started to see the real you and it scared me…’
Dedicated to helping others Mark is not shy about sharing his experiences. He is in fact studying at nights to become a counsellor and wants to help others. ‘If people see me around and want to talk to me, I’m happy to do it.’ He believes that too many people are afraid to ask for help and that’s part of the problem. ‘Don’t be scared. You get more respect when you come forward and admit that you need help. Everybody knows there’s something wrong, anyway. You’re not fooling anyone.’
meet your organiser Kane Pearson
Kane started off as a builders labourer 1997, before taking on an apprenticeship in bricklaying. ‘My employer went broke when I was doing my apprenticeship in Brisbane.’ ‘I went to Sydney to chase work doing the Olympics. Got some demolition work and then returned to Brisbane to work as a landscaper.’
Kane soon went back to concreting and block laying. ‘I was working for a big concrete company in Brisbane. He was the first to try and do an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA – individual agreements) under WorkChoices. Through that process we unionised the company, knocked down the AWA and got an EBA in place.’ This campaign led to Kane becoming a site delegate and started as an organiser with the Queensland BLF in 2007. He was an Assistant Secretary from 2011 through to 2015 when he made the move to Victoria. ‘I love everything about Melbourne except for the weather and the traffic.’ ‘The Members and everyone has been great, making me feel at home. It’s a good opportunity to work for the biggest branch.’ Kane is organising the Western Suburbs.
As someone who understands the difficulties of ice addiction better than most people, Mark is realistic about what he can do to help others. ‘Even if I can help one person give up and get on with their life, that’s a great thing.’
II Shaun Reardon with Mark onsite
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GANG
Concrete Gang
40th Anniversary The longest running radio show in Australia - The Concrete Gang celebrated their 40th Anniversary on Monday 11th July with a great crowd at The Palace Hotel in South Melbourne.
Delicious food, a well-run bar, an impressive cake and a live Concrete Gang show made it a successful event. Money raised keeps 3CR Community Radio running for another year and that means a 41st year for The Concrete Gang.
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The Palace Hotel always puts on a great event and if you’re ever after a great meal, nice drinks and good old fashioned quality service, you can’t do better than the Palace Hotel in City Rd, South Melbourne.
t is a very special anniversary, as it also marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of John Cummins. The Concrete Gang still exists today due to his 27 years of dedication. The day featured the always impressive The Jaded Cats playing an excellent live set of everyones favourites.
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A big thank you to everyone who helped make it a successful and entertaining event, especially the Palace Hotel.
HONOUR BOARD Original Gang - 1976 Ian Bolton Phil Court Paul Komesaroff
2000's Gorilla Buzza Colin (Rabbit) Dan Murphy
1978 – 2000's John Cummins Bob Mancor George Despard Frank O’Grady Warren Dominic Armado
o of the You can find a vide TV event on CFMEU fmeuvic youtube.com/c
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BALI holiday? Make it extra special by helping out some local kids in need The Jodie O’Shea Orphanage was built in memory of Jodie O’Shea who tragically died as a result of the Bali bombing in 2002. They care for 90 orphaned children, the youngest being just 9 months old. A small team of people dedicate themselves to providing a healthy, loving and secure environment for the children there.
You can help. If you’re holidaying in Bali, drop in for a visit with donations of food, toiletries and basic essentials. The Jodie O’Shea Orphanage is funded only by the kindness of generous friends and visitors.
You can also donate and find out more online: www.careforkidsbali.com
Lessons from a 40-year veteran
A lifetime of contribution
After 37 years of activism for the union and 30 years on the management committee, Roy Williams has made a real difference for countless Victorian building workers.
‘He has given so much of himself to the union and never asked for anything in return.’
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n recognition of his outstanding contribution, the CFMEU awarded Roy with a Life Membership.
Originally a carpenter who later switched to labouring, Roy participated in some of the major changes in the industry including superannuation, Long Service Leave, redundancy and EBA campaigns. Roy says that many younger workers today would find it difficult to understand what was involved in getting basic things. ‘We had to struggle to get sunglasses. We had a blue to get lace-up boots. Every advance involved a struggle.’
Roy Williams has made a real difference for countless building workers.
As a rank-and-file member on the union’s management committee (the BWIU, then CFMEU) Roy has always believed in the value of his role. ‘It’s important to have the representation of people on the job because you’re in touch with the members and they will tell you their views.’
Flying the flag for the unions Heavily influenced by a father with ‘left wing views’, Roy had no problem with joining the union when he first appeared on a commercial job in 1979. ‘After having been on jobs where workers have no voice at all, I saw the value of the union first hand. Workers are a part of the industry and they should have a say, like all the players.’ He was always keen on reinforcing the impact of unions in the industry and would often take the time to talk to apprentices and young workers on site. ‘I’d say “Look around. All of this was won by the union. Safety, pay, amenities. It
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wasn’t the boss who woke up one day and decided to be a nice bloke”.’ CFMEU president Ralph Edwards has worked with Roy for many years in his role on the management committee, describing him as one of the most decent men in the union.
This is evident when talks about the Life Membership award. While honoured to receive the award, Roy describes his achievements as ‘what everyone else should do’. ‘If you’re a member of an organisation that has done so much for you, you should contribute.’
Sage words of advice Since retiring, Roy, sadly, has been diagnosed with melanoma, for which he is receiving treatment and is taking part in new drug trials that could prolong his life. ‘My recommendation to everyone,’ he says, ‘is to take sun protection seriously and look after your health.’ The Victorian branch of the CFMEU thanks Roy for his contribution and wishes him and his family all the best for the future.
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t r a s e h d t i r K e t En
n o i t i t e p m co and you could
n i w y a d i l o h y a famil Design the artwork for CFMEU’s Hard Hat Hankies and Flags for the 2017 Good Friday Appeal.
This is w art cou here your ld end u p!
You could win a $2,500 Flight Centre voucher for a family holiday! Your design will appear on bandanas and flags, so keep it clear and simple. Conditions of entry: Artist must be aged 12 years old or younger No family of CFMEU staff members may enter Parent of winning artist must be a financial member of CFMEU Victoria-Tasmania Branch (Construction Division) Send entries to : CFMEU Kids Club Art Competition 500 Swanston St Carlton South, Victoria 3053 Entries close 7 October.
Help us r
each
n in $1 mi llnio ationS total do
Draw your design with a black texta in the space provided, or on your own paper. Don’t colour it in, just black lines.
Draw your design here or on your own paper with black texta
Send entries to : CFMEU Kids Club Art Competition 500 Swanston St Carlton South, Victoria 3053 Entries close 7 October.
Artist's name: Age: Parent name: Mobile/Phone: Email:
Union Number:
ANNA STEWART MEMORIAL PROJECT
Building on our
HISTORY OF SUPPORTING
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The CFMEU hosted two women from the Rail Tram and Bus Union as part of the Anna Stewart Memorial Project in May.
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o Thorpe, a locomotive driver with VLine, and Amanda Mastalerz, a station officer with Metro, spent time with the CFMEU getting a feel for the day-to-day work of the union. The Anna Stewart Memorial Project is an intern program for women, where they spend two weeks at a union of their choice. The women are nominated by their union and are often assigned to unions outside their sector. The project is named after Anna Stewart, a woman who worked in the union movement from 1974 to 1983. She died tragically in 1983, aged 35. Her involvement with the union movement began at a time when women comprised onethird of the paid workforce, but the few industries in which women were employed offered jobs that were poorly paid and
lacked job security, flexibility, skills recognition and paid maternity leave.
Anna successfully coordinated the first blue collar union campaign for maternity leave while she was in the late stages of pregnancy with her third child. At the Victorian Vehicle Builders Federation in 1975, Anna fought for child care facilities in car plants, researched and argued II Jo and Amanda with fellow activists taking a stand.
The CFMEU is a union that fights for a lot of stuff on a lot of fronts. work value cases, initiated campaigns against sexual harassment as an industrial issue, and assisted with the ACTU Maternity Leave Test Case and campaign.
Hands-on learning For their placements, Jo and Amanda chose to move outside their comfort zones and get
a feel for the experiences of unions in the construction industry. While with the CFMEU Jo and Amanda met with representatives from the CFMEU’s women’s committee, had a tour of the Training Unit, visited sites with organisers Steve Long and Drew McDonald, spent time with the OHS unit, were on the Concrete Gang radio show and met with the national office to see the work done there.
Amanda said she learnt a great deal during her time with the union. ‘It was great to go on sites. It was great to go around with
an organiser who pointed out safety breaches and how difficult it was to get bosses to do the right thing.’ ‘I definitely came away with the understanding that the CFMEU is a union that fights for a lot of stuff on a lot of fronts.’ For Jo, her time with the CFMEU cemented her decision to pursue occupational health and safety as a career – something she has had a longstanding interest in. ‘Meeting and talking with Gerry Ayers was fantastic. I’ve thought about studying OHS and now I’m doing it. ‘I loved being at the CFMEU. It inspired me.’
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CFMEU makes history with family violence leave in EBA Domestic and family violence is not just a private or personal issue
The CFMEU is the first union in the construction industry to negotiate a family violence provision in an EBA.
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he leave enables workers who are victims of family violence to attend to their legal or medical appointments and assists workers in holding on to their jobs.
Victorian Trades Hall Council Lead Women’s Organiser, Lisa Heap said that survivors often experience discrimination related to their experience of family violence, particularly in the workplace.
‘Family violence is an issue that impacts on workers in many ways. For those who are experiencing family violence this can include being unable to attend for work, being threatened at work, needing time off to deal with the justice system or medical appointment and to seek assistance in escaping family violence,’ she said.
Why do we need this leave? The ACTU, in its submission to the Victorian Government Royal Commission into Family Violence, advocated family violence leave for all workers. In Australia, approximately one woman is killed by her current or former partner every week, often after a history of domestic and family violence. In addition:
34 per cent of women have experienced physical violence.
17 per cent of women have experienced violence from a current or former partner since the age of 15.
30 per cent of respondents to a 2011 survey on domestic and family violence and the workplace reported having experienced violence, and 5 per cent of those respondents had experienced violence in the preceding year.
Discrimination related to the experience of domestic and family violence can take the form of:
being denied leave or flexible work arrangements that would assist victims and survivors to attend to violencerelated matters, such as attending court or moving into a shelter
having employment terminated for reasons relating to the violence they are experiencing, including a drop in performance or attendance caused by the domestic and family violence.
The union is committed to change CFMEU Secretary John Setka said the union was committed to bringing about change in the industry. ‘Since 2013, we have campaigned very strongly on this issue. We don’t have huge numbers of females in the industry, but we want to change that. Mr Setka said it was worth noting that while the union was negotiating this leave in the new EBA, the Turnbull Government was removing family violence leave from Commonwealth workplace agreements. ‘Turnbull gets up and talks about equality and respecting women, but taking away these rights actually disadvantages women.’
We want to change the industry so that more women want to work in it.
Mr Setka said he hoped that other unions in the industry would follow and introduce similar provisions in their EBAs.
The 2011 National Domestic Violence and the Workplace Survey found that nearly half (48 per cent) of respondents who reported experiencing domestic and family violence said the violence had affected their ability to get to work.
‘By achieving family violence leave in its agreement the CFMEU does three things,’ she said.
John Setka
Victims and survivors of domestic and family violence often experience discrimination related to their experience, particularly in the workplace.
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Ms Heap said that as part of a movement for social change, unions have to be openly campaigning to overcome violence of this kind in our community.
‘Firstly, it creates rights that its members may need to access at work. Secondly, it will be part of a movement to ensure all workers can experience these rights. Finally it demonstrates its commitment to eradicating family violence within the community.’
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EASTER UPRISING REMEMBERED Marking Ireland’s strong history of unionism
Three CFMEU representatives were afforded the experience of being in Ireland for the centenary commemorations of the historic Easter Uprising of 1916.
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elegate Oisin McAleenan, Victorian Organiser Fergal Doyle and West Australian activist Terry Barrett participated in a series of events to mark the armed rebellion organised by Irish Republicans for freedom from Great Britain and for selfdetermination for the Irish people. CFMEU Victorian Secretary John Setka said the decision to be a part of the centenary was in recognition of the role that the Irish have played in the union movement in Australia and due to the pivotal role of unions in the uprising.
‘A lot people don’t realise that the participation of the Irish trade unions under the leadership of James Connolly – then Secretary of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union (IGTWU) – was a major part of the rising,’ he said.
Fighting the oppression of working people
In the years leading up to the uprising, there had been largescale strikes in Ireland due to harsh pay and conditions of working people. The 1913 ‘Dublin Lockout’ was a major industrial dispute involving 20,000 workers who went on strike for the right to join a union and improve their working conditions. The dispute lasted six months and the workers returned to work, crushed by their employers and the state. The Citizens Army, which comprised trained volunteers who were members of the ITGWU, formed to defend workers from police during the lockout. They went on to be a
II Oisin McAleenan delivering a message of solidarity at a commemoration rally.
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leading party in the uprising because they believed this was the only way to fight the oppression of working people.
Victorian Trades Hall Secretary Luke Hilakari, said the experience was ‘poignant and emotional’.
Despite that the uprising was a military failure, its repercussions led to the creation of the Irish state and the separation of the six counties in the north, which remained with Great Britain.
In his letter, Oisin, a native of County Down in Northern Ireland, pointed to the role of the unions and working people in the uprising and said it was a significant event because it ‘represented the power of the people to stand up and be heard’.
An emotional experience
Delegate Oisin McAleenan, who was selected to attend the events in Ireland after penning the winning letter judged by
A hundred years on, people are fighting for the same principles: a better go for working people. Fergal Doyle
‘One hundred years on, you look back and think this rebellion, which was a military defeat, sparked something greater. This band of people took on the British Empire and dared to stand up and fight against oppression,’ he said.
Honouring those who stood up for their beliefs
Oisin believes he inherited his republican politics from his father, who was active in the Gaelic Athletic Association, and his courage to speak out from his mother, who encouraged him to be assertive and stand up for what’s right.
II Fergal and Oisin representing the CFMEU in Ireland
‘I felt proud to have been part of the centenary, not only because I’m republicanminded, but also because I’m a union activist.’ Fergal Doyle said he felt honoured to be able to pay his respects to the men and women who fought against oppression and those who were executed for their part in the uprising. ‘James Connolly wasn’t just a Nationalist. He didn’t want to a Catholic state. He wanted to create a workers’ republic.’
Irish unions today
The CFMEU delegation attended events including the commemoration of Connolly’s execution, a rally in Belfast in his honour and a re-enactment of the uprising in Belfast.
They also had the opportunity to meet with workers and officials from the construction unions. ‘Unions are not at their strongest,’ Fergal said. ‘The Global Financial Crisis decimated the economy and weakened the bargaining power of unions. A lot needs to be done to lift wages and conditions. ‘A hundred years on, people are fighting for the same principles: a better go for working people. ‘The one thing we can be certain of and what the Easter Uprising reminds us of is that if you don’t fight, you lose.’
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INSERT COPY BACKFIRES BLACKLISTING
Major win for union activists in Britain.
Seventy-one British construction workers who were blacklisted as a result of being union safety activists have received up to 200,000 pounds for having their working lives destroyed.
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he blacklisted individuals were branded troublemakers and denied work in the British industry for years due to the fact that they raised safety issues and engaged in union activity.
milestone in the battle to win justice for blacklisted workers.’
The British union UCATT, which was fighting a legal battle for compensation for the workers, said the deal was a ‘first significant milestone’ for blacklisted workers. Other cases involving hundreds of blacklisted workers are pending with the backing of the unions Unite and GMB, and the Blacklist Support Group.
According to Dave Smith of the Blacklist Support Group, many workers wanted the blacklisting firms to face the courts. He said the industry giants ‘know they are guilty as sin and are desperate to protect their corporate brand. But the millions they will be ordered to pay by the High Court will be dwarfed by the potential billions they could lose out on if banned from government and local authority contracts across Europe.’
Brian Rye, UCATT’s Acting General Secretary, said, ‘This initial tranche of compensation is the first significant
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Blacklisting firms aiming for a competitive advantage that may well backfire
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Compensation, while welcome, does not make up for the thousands of ruined lives resulting from the illegal actions of these companies.
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USA: Union State of America? Mr Smith added that by covertly targeting union safety reps, these companies appear to have given themselves a competitive advantage, as implementing proper health and safety measures on major projects has obvious financial consequences. ‘Blacklisting is a human rights scandal, but it might also be viewed as a secret cartel.’
Given the numbers of workers’ lives ruined, compensation can’t stop there Britain’s Trade Union Council’s head of safety, Hugh Robertson, says the compensation, while welcome, does not make up for the thousands of ruined lives resulting from the illegal actions of these companies. ‘Without the support that the GMB, Unite and UCATT gave and the
work they did with the incredible Blacklist Support Group, the workers would have either received nothing or, at the very least, some token amount.’ UCATT has a total of 160 cases for the victims of blacklisting, and negotiations are ongoing for compensation for the remaining cases. Unless settlement is agreed, the cases will go to trial in May. UCATT is also trying to secure a formal apology made in the High Court for the victims of blacklisting. In addition, the union is running a campaign to stop public contracts going to firms that have blacklisted workers and not made up for it.
CFMEU Organiser Gerry Benstead visited a local construction union while holidaying in the United States early in the year. It’s always good to hear how our international comrades are travelling, so here’s a quick report.
History The Northern California Carpenters Regional Council (NCCRC) was formed in 1997 through the merger of three prior District Councils (The Bay Counties, Sacramento and Central California). Their local history goes all the way back to 1882 with the founding of Carpenters Local 22. The establishment of the NCCRC brings under one umbrella all 24 Carpenter Local Unions in Northern California. Members: 32,300 members in Northern California. Region: Northern 46 counties of California. Coverage: All types of commercial and residential carpentry, including framing, concrete forms, pile driving, hardwood flooring, roof structures, interior finish and trim, drywall and metal stud framing, partitions, solar installation, modular furniture installation, scaffold erectors and millwright work. They also have lumber yards, pre-cast yards, modular building factories and architectural mill cabinet shops. Wages: Four geographic areas in Northern California with a base wage for journeyman from $35.17 to $42.40 per hour. On top of the wage rate are fringe benefits of $27.98 for total packages between $63.15 to $70.38 per hour.
II Gerry Benstead making AustralianUSA connections
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brexit is broken
battle of e s o l s r e k r o w in w s e boss What will exiting Europe mean for working people in the UK and the bosses behind job cuts and the exploitation of overseas workers?
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UK referendum saw more than 30 million people vote, with 52% voting for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Less than 72% of eligible voters voted in the referendum and turnout was much lower amongst younger people than older people. Northern Ireland, Scotland and London voted to remain in the EU, but turnout was lower in these areas than others. Class didn’t seem to play an enormous role in how people voted, although turnout was lower in working class areas. Interestingly, the ‘Leave’ vote
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was strongest in regions most economically dependent on the European Union. Several areas whose jobs rely on exports to the EU voted strongly to leave the EU.
So what’s going on?
The people of the UK were given an enemy to focus on and instead of focusing on multinational companies and their political puppets, enough were convinced that the EU was the problem.
There are many explanations for the result, including: Failures in the ‘Remain’ campaign to present a convincing case Dishonest promises from the ‘Leave’ campaign, such as the almost immediately broken pledge to spend 350 million Pounds of ‘EU money’ on the National Health Service Strong racially-motivated fear campaign from the ‘Leave’ side Unions in the UK have argued strongly that a ‘Brexit’ is not in the interests of working people. They point out it is bosses that undermine working peoples wages by exploiting foreign workers and it is conservative politicians that allow and support it.
II The bullshit bus - promise
Unions in the UK have argued strongly that a ‘Brexit’ is not in the interests of working people. Leaving the EU threatens basic rights for working people in the UK such as maternity and paternity pay and leave, the right to paid leave for holidays and equal treatment for full, part-time and agency workers. Ten major trade union leaders said they were clear that the
CFMEU WORKER broken the day after the vote
II Len McCluskey, leader of Unite
social and cultural benefits of remaining in the EU far outweigh any advantages of leaving: ‘Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s the British trade union movement worked in solidarity with our European partners and fought hard to secure valuable working rights legislation at EU level,’ they said. ‘To this day these rights – including maternity and paternity rights, equal treatment for full time, parttime and agency workers and the right to paid leave – continue to underpin and protect working rights for British people. ‘If Britain leaves the EU we are in no doubt these protections would be under great threat.’ While large corporations and conservative governments continue to drive a free trade agenda and throw away any limits on corporate power, the EU provides a level of democracy and regulation that can protect workers,
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Political police
ANOTHER RAID, MORE WASTED TIME AND MONEY
their communities and their environment. UK Unions such as Unite, with over 1.4 million members, have said they respect the decision of the people and will do everything in their power to safeguard workers rights, jobs and living standards. Warning that workers must not pay the price for Brexit, Unite said they would: ‘Oppose a ‘Brexit’ that reduces trade union rights, excludes Britain from the EU single market and fails to deal fairly with the difficult issue of the free movement of labour, which requires further debate in the trade union movement.’ ‘We further need to ensure that the British and Irish governments do not launch a race to the bottom in terms of social protection, workers' rights, and corporate tax - and do not allow multi-national capital to play one government off against the other.’ In a warning to political parties all around the world, Unite pointed out that ‘the referendum result was as much a rebuke to an out of touch political and economic elite as it was about the EU itself.’ Unite has demanded a seat at the table to negotiate the next steps as the UK move towards an EU exit.
Haven't they got ? something better to do
There’s been a second raid of the CFMEU ACT office in Canberra. It seems some sore losers who didn’t get what they wanted the first time couldn’t help themselves and have come back for another try.
Earthmoving companies are being sent to the wall by agencies with remarkably similar pricing arrangements and subcontractors remain unpaid due to phoenixing and predictable insolvencies.
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Yet the ACCC thinks the CFMEU is the enemy?
his time the AFP (or ‘Australian Political Police’) were with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). If it wasn’t enough that police resources are spent on the Liberal Party’s political attacks on unions, they now have the consumer watchdog on board.
The federal police are supposed to be protecting us from terrorists and our children from international paedophile rings, yet they come after unions. The ACCC won’t take on big oil companies and the two big supermarkets. No, they’re after the unions.
So much for independent police and independent government agencies. Surely they have something more important to attend to than Turnbull’s political battles?
II Raids at QLD office
II ACT Secretary Dean Hall at the Canberra office
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incolink support when you need it INSERT COPY
Baby Blues or postnatal depression? Having a baby can be a very exciting time for parents and their families. But after waiting for the months to pass and the tiring work of the birth sometimes new parents might face ‘baby blues’ or postnatal depression. WHAT ARE THE ‘BABY BLUES’ It is not uncommon for a new mother to experience the ‘baby blues’ in the first few days after birth. The ‘baby blues’ means a
More than 1 in 7 new mums and up to 1 in 10 new dads in Australia experience postnatal depression woman cries, feels anxious or is irritable seemingly for no reason. These feelings usually decrease over a few days with understanding, acknowledgement and support from those around her. POSTNATAL ANXIETY & DEPRESSION When anxiety or depression begins in the year after birth, it is referred to as postnatal anxiety or postnatal depression. Postnatal anxiety and depression can be a frightening and isolating experience as parents try to deal with how they are feeling while they care for a new baby. If any of the symptoms below last for more than two weeks, it’s time to seek support. There are supports, services and treatments, available to help you both
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through this experience. Signs and symptoms of postnatal anxiety and depression can vary from person to person and may include: Panic attacks Feeling worried most of the time mostly about the health and wellbeing of the baby Extreme tiredness and feeling unable to cope with looking after the baby Loss of confidence & lowered self esteem Fear of being alone with the baby Thinking you might harm the baby or yourself Loss of interest in doing things you previously enjoyed doing Thoughts of death or suicide GETTING HELP If you’re concerned about what is happening to your partner or yourself, you can: Talk to your partner, a trusted friend or family member about how you are feeling Talk to your local Maternal Health Service when you take the baby in for regular check ups Visit your GP and tell them what you’re experiencing
an Incolink Counsellor to talk about your thoughts and feelings and explore options for support SUPPORTING SOMEONE If you are worried about someone close to you, you can: Gently ask if they are able or willing to share what is going on Reassure them that they are not alone there are things that can be done to help Be patient with them - it may take some time for the depression and anxiety to start to lift Suggest that they speak to an Incolink Counsellor, their GP, other trusted health professional or PANDA Phone PANDA or an Incolink Counsellor for further guidance on how best to support them If you’re worried you could have postnatal anxiety or depression, be assured that many other women and men have come through this experience to find joy and fulfillment as a parent. You are not alone, and you don’t have to go through it alone. For information and support you can call: Incolink Wellbeing and Support: 9668 3061 PANDA National Helpline: (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia): 1300 726 306 Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm AEST Source: panda.org.au
Talk to other parents who have experienced similar feelings and got through it Call the PANDA Helpline (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) or
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meet your organiser itt Brendan P
After four years organising around the country for the National Office of the CFMEU, Brendan Pitt is returning to the Victorian branch and to his home base in Geelong.
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rendan will be replacing Peter Booth who is moving into the role of looking after the mobile crane sector. Brendan is very pleased to be back to organising in Victoria and particularly in Geelong. ‘I welcomed the opportunity to be back in the Victorian
branch, but it was a bonus to be organising in Geelong,’ he says. In his time with the National Office, Brendan worked in an organising and mentoring capacity. ‘It was part of fostering collaboration between the states and building a national union,’ he says. He values the experience he gained in his national role as it expanded his horizons. ‘Working with Frank O’Grady taught me a lot. His critical
analysis in situations is first rate and I learned the importance of good, thorough research.’
Brendan has hit the ground running with a renewed confidence after working with all the states and seeing the different ways of dealing with issues.
the members at Geelong will benefit from his skills and knowledge.’
Victorian Assistant Secretary Elias Spernovasilis said the branch is fortunate to have Brendan back. ‘He is a hard-working, experienced organiser and
Help depression Sharing stories of depression and hearing others’ real-life experiences is one of the best ways to combat depression among men.
How you can help Working with La Trobe University’s Department of Public Health and Psychology, the researchers want to hear from you about the things that have the most positive impact on your mental health and wellbeing.
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Scott Ruddock from La Trobe University, who will be evaluating the feedback, says real-life stories about attitudes to depression, how people have been affected by depression
The Players’ Association recently approached the CFMEU to ask for assistance with the project, recognising the union’s longstanding role in helping workers in the construction industry with mental health issues.
It wasn’t until I faced up to my depression that I was able to do something about it.
new project led by the AFL Players’ Association wants to build a campaign to encourage men to talk about their depression, but they need your help.
Jake Edwards
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and whether speaking to someone about it made a difference is the information they need to inform the Better Out than In campaign. ‘We want to remove the stigma of depression and encourage men to talk about their troubles before things get too bad,’ says Scott.
First-hand stories make an impact Jake Edwards, former Carlton footballer and now captain of the Geelong VFL team, recently addressed workers onsite in Melbourne to share his experiences.
Jake is happy to share his experiences with other men because he understands the impact that sharing stories can have in encouraging people to get help.
Take part in the survey CFMEU members are asked to complete a survey online at aflplaye.rs/aflstride Survey participants have the opportunity to win a trip for two to Hawaii or a Bunnings/ Coles-Myer voucher.
Jake spoke about how, at 19, he took drugs to cope with problems that overwhelmed him. ‘It was nothing but an escape,’ he told the packed lunchroom.
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protecting our industry
Productivity: separating
n o i t c i f m o r fact f There is a story that Master Builders Australia and the Turnbull Government like to tell and it goes like this: Enterprise bargaining agreements are a huge impediment to productivity and we need laws to deal with unions who are bringing the industry down.
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hey say workers are paid too much, have ‘luxuries’ like rostered days off, cause havoc over issues that they have no right to be concerned with like training and job opportunities for young people and they insist on wearing union stickers on their hard hats. All of this, we have been told for several years, is the reason why we have low productivity in the construction industry and why we need
the ABCC to fix the problem. This story, entirely fictional, that we have an unproductive industry caused by overpaid workers with too many rights is accepted by sections of the media and trotted out repeatedly on the front pages of newspapers, without any investigation.
The real story An illuminating study conducted by Professor Paul Teicholz from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University in the United States says declining productivity cannot be blamed on high union membership and unsustainable wage rises because that’s not what’s happening there. There has been a drop in the earnings of construction workers, and union membership has declined over the past 14 years. And the US construction industry has big productivity problems.
What he does find is one of the major impediments of productivity is pyramid subcontracting and the proliferation
of small subcontractors.
Figures from the US show that 63 per cent of firms have five or fewer employees and that small businesses struggle to adjust to more capital-intensive methods because they lack the required investments to be more productive. It also means there is a higher turnover as smaller companies tend to leave the industry during downturns. This high turnover makes it hard to introduce and improve on work practices.
Can’t help the weather There are unavoidable factors that create variations from one job to another such as weather, site locations, ground conditions, different owners, financial relationships and break-ups. Sometimes it rains every day for a week, or asbestos is found and has to be removed, or a subcontractor goes bust right in the middle of the project – all of which cause delays.
We are supportive of new technology, innovation and having a skilled workforce that is open to further education and training. If the ABCC Bill becomes law, the union will be prevented from acting on these issues.
The CFMEU takes the issue of productivity very seriously. We
II Apprentices are a major focus of the CFMEU
smaller s= e i bb su prentices less ap 046
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protecting our industry want a productive industry for the sake of our members and for the sake of the economy. We are supportive of new technology, innovation and having a skilled workforce that is open to further education and training. We don’t want a workforce that it using outdated methods.
Focus on apprentices We have a major focus on apprenticeships and campaign on getting more places for young workers into skilled jobs, which is becoming harder in an industry where 37 per cent of workers are selfemployed – double that of all other industries. In his 2014 report titled Weakened Foundations, Philip Toner from the Department of Political Economy of the University of Sydney points to the structural changes to the industry that are one of the major factors of declining apprenticeships. Toner says these arrangements cut wages, reduce safety and constrain productivity and innovation in the industry. Just as they’re less likely to invest in equipment, research or new technology, they are also less likely to take on apprentices.
The facts
Our industry continues to grow strongly,
The Australian construction industry
continues to be more productive than our global competitors.
According to the government’s 2016 Benchmark Report, we are 19 per cent more productive than the average of our global competitors in the construction industry.
we will be blocked from opposing sham contracting arrangements. The Coalition Government has no interest in improving the industry and making it more productive. Blinded by their ideological zeal to take away workers’ rights and the union’s role in shaping the industry in the interest of the people who work in it, they would much rather spend time and money on blocking workers from wearing a union sticker on their hard hat.
We know that many of the socalled contractors are actually employees, forced into sham contracting arrangements by builders.
Turnbull’s misguided Australian Building and Construction Commission
with an average of 4.6 per cent annual growth over the past 23 years. This compares with 3.2 per cent average growth in the same time across all industries.
ABNs, pyramid subcontracting and sham contracting hurt productivity.
Quality training and apprenticeships boost productivity.
How does that improve productivity? It doesn’t. We believe if we are going to talk about productivity then it’s important that we deal in facts and not fiction. We want policy to be developed according to those facts and not according to a blind pursuit of an ideology that reduces wages and lowers the standard of living among workers. A more productive industry requires cooperation of all parties who work in it. Making up stories that put the blame on workers and their unions does not enable us to meet the real challenges of our industry and deliver what we all want: better productivity.
su b d i Pyram cting contra orkers
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If the ABCC Bill becomes law, the union will be prevented from acting on these issues, among others. We will not be able to negotiate for a mandated number of apprentices and
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Gary wright incolink
Farewelling much-loved counsellor
Gary Wright After almost two decades of helping union members through their darkest days, counsellor Gary Wright is retiring.
As a counsellor specialising in drug and alcohol addiction, Gary Wright didn’t expect things to be too different when he accepted a job at Incolink 17 years ago.
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found a different culture. By that I don’t simply mean a blokey, drinking culture that people associate with building workers – although that exists as well,’ he says. ‘The biggest difference I found was that the clients were much more motivated to change, and they had the support of the union to do so.’ The relationships he built with many shop stewards in the course of his job and the way they care for the health and wellbeing of union members has left a lasting impression. ‘After working in the field for a long time, it was rewarding to come to Incolink and see a high number of people make changes to improve their quality of life.’
growing recognition of the negative effects of alcohol abuse and that people are much more comfortable nowadays about seeking help. ‘When I started, drinking a lot was seen as a perfectly normal thing to do. Workers would down beers at smoko and lunchtime. It’s because alcohol is the most socially acceptable drug,’ he says.
He has helped thousands of construction workers through difficult times in their personal and professional lives Victorian OHS officer Gerry Ayers ‘But it’s also the biggest killer and responsible for the most hospital admissions. People understand this more now. While the majority of us are not interested in abstinence, we have more awareness of the problems caused by alcohol abuse.’ Gary says it’s important to focus on the fact that there aren’t more people using drugs and alcohol now, but there are more people seeking help.
Changing with the times II Gary conducting wellbeing counselling at Incolink
Recognising the negative effects of alcohol When Gary was appointed to the position, the drug and alcohol policy in the industry was still in its infancy, with the focus predominantly on alcohol. He has seen a
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Over his career, Gary has worked with addiction to all sorts of drugs that have come in and out of fashion: heroin, LSD, acid, amphetamines and now methamphetamines, which he describes as a very strong drug.
that addiction is not a life sentence. ‘Everyone can change their behaviour,’ he says.
A new chapter After a long and rewarding career of helping people to help themselves, Gary says he was reluctant to retire. But a passion for gardening and plants motivated him to do something different, and he is now involved in his partner’s nursery business. CFMEU delegate Rob Taylor has referred a number of people to Gary over the years and says you ‘couldn’t get a better bloke’. ‘The way he communicates with the members is great. He’s at their level and has helped them through their dark times. I’m sorry he’s retiring.’ Victorian OHS officer Gerry Ayers echoes similar sentiments, saying that Gary is a much loved and respected man. ‘He has helped thousands of construction workers through difficult times in their personal and professional lives,’ he says. The CFMEU thanks Gary for his dedicated service to the industry and wishes him all the best for his future.
While he doesn’t deny it’s tough helping people overcome serious addiction problems, which are often a mask for other deeper issues, experience has taught him
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big hearts at the fifth
Gifted from angels ‘Kerry’ was living in an unregistered car at a truck stop, left homeless due to family violence.
‘Kerry’ wrote a letter to the Members who had given her a hand up, it really shows the true character of construction workers, always happy to do the right thing when needed.
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A Thank-you Msg for the Boys from the Lady. Shows you that a little kindness can change a life.
hen CFMEU Members from ‘The Fifth’ on Lonsdale St met her, they knew something had to be done.
Almost all ‘Kerry’ had left was her two dogs and they’d been loyal to her so she wasn’t about to cut them loose. A couple of site raffles later and there was enough to cover two weeks rent for ‘Kerry’ and Members helped her find temporary accommodation. ‘Kerry’ wasn’t just left on her own though, they got community housing involved who paid for a bond and St Vincent de Paul Society chipped in two more weeks rent and some vouchers for food and essentials. Hickory Group donated a fridge and furniture and Facebook requests from Members on the job led to community donations as well.
much. I don't Thank yo u all soooo y how much this have the words to sa soooo hard & means to me, it’s been mare that won't scary. It’s like a night l I can't stop go away, thank yo u al ost beautiful cryi ng. This is the m u are amazing. gift I have received yo le, thank yo u all I had given up on peop e world to me I for caring it means th . I’m so happy can’t thank yo u enough ls. to be gifted from ange heart. Love & thanks from my
II Top: The boys at 'The Fifth' raising money for Kerry. Right: Kerry's new home, and a Trailer full of generous donations.
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APPRENTICE TRAINING
Eighteen months into his carpentry apprenticeship, Caelan O’Sullivan is convinced it’s the best thing he ever did.
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fter completing his preapprenticeship course with the CFMEU Training Unit before being snapped up by formwork company Eltrax, Caelan has not stopped learning. ‘We do heaps of stuff. I’m enjoying learning new things every day. Everything about the course with the CFMEU and now the apprenticeship has been great.’
‘The people are good, the money is good. It’s great.’ Eltrax Managing Director Tony Juric is full of praise for Caelan and his progress. ‘He’s very committed, interested in the work which is what you want as an employer.’ Tony was invited to the CFMEU Training Offices, along with other employers to learn about the pre-apprenticeship course. He was immediately impressed. ‘I was surprised at how good the set-up is there and what they teach the students.’ At that initial introduction to the course, Tony indicated that Eltrax would be interested in employing an apprentice from the program and Caelan was selected.
the course at the Training Unit. ‘I would now hesitate to take an apprentice on unless they have completed a pre apprenticeship with the CFMEU.’ ‘They are properly trained. They’re also very knowledgeable in OHS which is a very important issue in our industry. What Anne Duggan and Liam O’Hearn have put together there is invaluable. I would recommend it to all employers,’ he says. There are currently 12 students undertaking the course which commenced last year. They are immersed into hands on training immediately and work the hours of the construction industry.
Training Coordinator Anne Duggan said the course gave the students a real feel for the work. ‘They attend the same hours as a construction site and we particularly focus on safety issues so that students can gain a good understanding of the industry.’ Anne said that one of the benefits of our pre-apprenticeship course is that people learn there are different types of carpentry. In Caelan’s case, he showed an interest in formwork from the moment we took him on site. ‘We were fortunate that Tony and Eltrax supported our program and gave some of our first apprentices a go.’
Tony believes that all company should be employing apprentices as it’s crucial for the future of the industry. ‘It’s good to give someone a go who can go on to be a future part of the company. We need skilled workers and the solution doesn’t lie with visa workers,’ he says. Tony says Caelan was well and truly ready to work in the industry after completing II Tony and Caelan on site
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NextUNION generation young unionist INSERT network COPY
As part of our two-week placement at the CFMEU we completed a research project in the subject area of ‘Engaging with young workers’.
Y
oung workers face significant challenges in the workplace. We have identified two significant challenges – workplace injuries and exploitation. In relation to workplace injuries, data from WorkSafe suggests that young workers are 21 per cent more likely to experience a workplace injury requiring hospitalisation, and more than 2,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are injured at Victorian worksites every year. Exploitation of young workers is another significant challenge through unpaid internships, bullying/ harassment, underpayments and cash-in-hand arrangements. A particular concern faced by Australian unions is a sharp decline in union membership for 15–24 year olds. Only an estimated 8 per cent of young people are members of a union.
Engaging with the Young Activists Throughout our internship with the CFMEU we have been given the opportunity to engage with Young Activists and organisers, and they have identified that the rise in casual employment and labour hire contracts within the construction industry is a significant deterrent to young workers being active in their union. The CFMEU Young Activists committee meets every two months to discuss issues that affect young workers. Anu conducted an interview
Young people are ready to get involved and they want to take action. with Simmo from the Young Activists. Simmo explained that ‘the union is like a brotherhood, mateship, everyone is together. We have each other’s backs. A lot of us come from domestic and the union brings a lot of benefits’.
in attracting members to meetings, with an average attendance of 40–50 attendees.
Young Workers Centre campaign organiser Rose Steele at the Victorian Trades Hall suggested that the Young Unionist Network could be another way of encouraging young activists. It ‘aims to bring together young officials and youth committees from all affiliated trade unions at VTHC to engage in cross-union campaigns and issues’, she said. The CFMEU Young Activists group has been particularly successful and shows the outcomes that can be achieved when a union facilitates meetings in which young members can engage on issues of concern to them.
II Tom: studying Teaching at La Trobe Bundoora, has been involved in progressive campaigns for a number of years and works as a labourer in the construction industry.
There is a perception among some older unionists that young workers today are indifferent to the union. The conversations that we have had with Young Activists within the CFMEU indicate that young people are ready to get involved and they want to take action. As a fledgling organisation the CFMEU Young Activists has been very successful
II Anu: studying Law at Deakin Uni in Burwood and got involved in the union movement as a legal intern at Victorian Trades Hall’s Young Workers Centre.
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cfmeu Community
e y b d o o g Saying g n i n i a r T a o t Unit ordinator II Training Unit co Mei Hing Lai Anne Duggan with
When Mei Hing Lai accepted the position of records administrator at the CFMEU Training Unit 22 years ago, she could never have imagined what she was signing up for. ‘It’s been a very challenging and interesting job. Working for a union, going through all the political battles including a Royal Commission, which meant all our records had be accurate, has made it a
special place to work,’ she said on the eve of her departure.
gem
‘Despite all the challenges, it’s been good working here, mainly due to the people I have worked with.’ Mei Hing had been in Australia for two years before taking on the role with the union and had struggled to find work.
A win-win job placement Training Unit coordinator Anne Duggan had called an employment agency looking for someone who could maintain computer records, and they sent three people.
‘The other two struggled with the tasks they were given. Mei Hing did it so effortlessly that I offered her the job on the spot. She then proceeded to tell me all the things she couldn’t do,’ laughs Anne. ‘But she was definitely highly skilled and we have been lucky to have someone of her ability.’ As she prepares for the next phase of her life, Mei Hing is full of gratitude for the opportunity of working for the union. ‘No one else would give me a go,’ she said. ‘And I’ve really enjoyed it.’
CFMEU Rising Star chases gold in Rio A
fter snagging a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the 2016 World Champion Australian Men’s Pursuit cycling team are now going for gold in Rio. But this time they have a secret weapon – CFMEU Rising Star Alex Edmondson.
II CFMEU Rising
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At just 19 years old, Alex won the 2013 CFMEU Rising Star jersey in the Tour of the Great South Coast. It was clearly a sign of things to come.
Now at 22, there is little Edmondson hasn’t achieved in cycling. ‘The only thing I’m missing in my goals and dreams is a certain gold medal. To be able to call yourself an Olympic champion … not many people get to call themselves that,’ he says.
Star winner 2013
The CFMEU is proud to support young Australian up-and-coming cycling stars.
CFMEU WORKER
Men’s Team Pursuit
Reigning Oly mpic champ ions (2012) – Great Britain World Cham pionships (2016) – Aust ralia (first) Odds of Auss ie gold in Rio :
EVENS
Prediction fo r Rio:
GOLD
II Alex Edmondson won an emotional Devonport Wheel Race. (Pic Epic Events and Marketing)
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COPY cfmeuINSERT Community
TRAINING NEWS The CFMEU Education and Training Unit, in conjunction with the union’s health and safety advisors, have this month rolled out precast and tilt-up awareness training to our health and safety representatives.
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he course is intended to provide current information on the hazards and processes involved in precast and tilt-up concrete construction. The course focuses
New Precast and Tilt-Up Training on risk management and safe work practices during the manufacturing and erection of precast and tilt-up concrete and includes legislation, terminology, planning principles and construction processes. The course is delivered in one day and uses various resources such as shop drawings, SWMS, work plans, tilt-up and precast concrete elements, cranes and rigging equipment, videos and classroom discussions. The training takes place at the High Risk Work Training facilities in Port Melbourne. All those completing the course receive the competency Identify requirements for safe tilt-up work.
The course begins on Thursday 18 August and runs for a month. Any OHS representatives wishing to do the course should contact the Education and Training Unit to book a spot. Once safety reps have been trained the unit will open bookings for other workers wishing to learn more about this important and extremely dangerous work.
Phone 9341 3444
vic.cfmeu.org.au/training
Where’s William campaign continues with 5th Birthday morning tea
The CFMEU celebrated William Tyrrell's 5th Birthday on Sunday 26 June 2016 at the Swanston St office. William disappeared from his Nana's home on the NSW mid-north coast on 12 September 2014. We need everyones help to find him.
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he Where’s William campaign was launched last year on William’s 4th Birthday and hoped that information might have led to finding William by now. Sadly this is not the case and we marked his 5th Birthday with a morning tea. Staff made donations and brought along food to share. Money raised was donated to the campaign to help increase awareness of William in multiple communities around Australia. Somebody saw something. Somebody knows something. Somebody can help bring William home. Is that somebody you?
For more information, please click on the link below: mycause.com.au/events/whereswilliam
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CFMEU COMMUNITY
Construction of concrete structures for multistorey office and apartment buildings; and large shopping centres. Including formwork, reinforcement supply and fix, post tensioning supply and installation, concrete supply, concrete place, concrete pumping, construction of concrete lift cores, structure safety screens and provision of other self climbing systems. 68-76 Drake Boulevard, Altona, Vic. 3018
Ph: (03) 8331 7100 Fax: (03) 8331 7150 Email: info@form700.com.au Website: www.form700.com.au CW 21/3
CW 21/3
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Slater + Gordon we've got your back
INSERT COPY
Bright future after serious injury Kane Ammerlaan was only 16 years old when a workplace incident resulted in the catastrophic loss of vision in his left eye.
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s an apprentice in the building industry, he was directed by his employer to carry overfilled buckets of concrete onto a roof. As he was carrying the overfilled buckets, he fell from a height and concrete became lodged in his eyes. Rather than take him to hospital immediately, Kane’s boss laughed at him. An ambulance was not called. By the time Kane reached the hospital and got the medical treatment he needed, it was too late to save the vision in his eye.
Initiating a WorkCover claim Over the past few years, claims for compensation have been brought under the WorkCover scheme to compensate Kane for his serious and lifechanging injury. He initially pursued a ‘no fault’ claim and was awarded a lump sum in compensation to reflect the total loss of vision in his left eye. Workers who have accepted WorkCover claims have an entitlement to make initial
lump sum claims for an award of compensation in the event of permanent injury consequences even in circumstances where there is no fault or negligence in how they were injured. As Kane was clearly injured in negligent circumstances, a further claim for damages was then pursued. The question became whether Kane could be awarded damages for his lost earning capacity, as well as for his pain and suffering. The solicitors for the Victorian WorkCover Authority argued that Kane did not meet the test for loss of earnings because he had to some degree re-skilled and was able to return to fulltime work in a different, lighter role with another employer. However, Kane’s injury has prevented him from working in his trade or from pursuing his dream of joining the police force. Kane’s case went to court and he was successful in establishing that the injury met the WorkCover test, entitling him to claim damages for the loss or reduction in his capacity to earn. The law surrounding claiming compensation for ‘loss of earnings’ is very strict, and the court took into account Kane’s young age at the time of his injury, as well as the fact that his injury prevented him from
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By the time Kane reached the hospital and got the medical treatment he needed, it was too late. working in physical jobs or any role that was too demanding of his limited vision.
The future for Kane This was a great outcome for Kane and hopefully opens the door to other young and vulnerable workers to claim compensation where their employment prospects have been narrowed by an injury caused by negligence at work. Kane’s matter in negligence against the employer finally resolved for a substantial settlement without any further court proceedings needing to be issued. Despite his injuries, the future for Kane looks bright. He has moved interstate and is working full time in a sales role.
II Jana Athanasopoulos
Jana Athanasopoulos specialises in assisting clients who have been injured at work or in the course of their employment. Her greatest strength as a lawyer is in her ability to find positive outcomes for her clients by being innovative and thinking outside the box. She applies a personable and client-centric approach to build strong rapport with her clients as she navigates them through what is often a difficult time in their lives.
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cbus Advice through
The Cbus Advice Team can give you advice on any super related topic over the phone. This service is part of your membership. For details, speak to the Cbus Advice Team on 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au/advice Use the Cbus app to check your Cbus account balance and recent transactions. Download the
Cbus app for free www.cbussuper.com.au/app
1300 361 784
www.cbussuper.com.au
cbusenq@cbusmail.com.au
Read the relevant Cbus Product Disclosure Statement to decide if Cbus is right for you. Contact 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au for a copy. Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262
Want to build a better retirement?
Will the contributions that your employer makes be enough for you to retire comfortably? Salary sacrifice could help you boost your super balance whilst paying less tax. What is salary sacrifice? Salary sacrifice allows you to make contributions to your super using pre-tax dollars. This gives you the opportunity to boost your super balance and pocket some handy tax benefits at the same time. It involves giving up some of your take-home pay (it doesn’t need to be forever) and asking your employer to contribute it to your super instead.
the Medicare levy and the Budget Repair levy (a total of up to 49%) and the super tax rate (which is 15%).
Let’s look at an example… Jack has saved a total of $1,170 in tax by using salary sacrifice boost his super contribution.
How to start building your super today Cbus members have access to a team of qualified financial advisers. Call the Cbus Advice Team on 1300 361 784 (Press 4 to be connected) 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday AEST. Or if you want to put more money into a Cbus super account now, download the Salary sacrifice form from cbussuper.com.au/salsac and give it to your employer.
*Limits to contributions apply
You can save on tax using salary sacrifice
Super-size the growth of your investment
By putting away some of your beforetax earnings, you'll be taxed at a rate of 15%, allowing you to save money in more ways than one. The tax saving you then receive is the difference between your marginal tax rate plus
And as your account grows over time you’ll see how even a little extra contribution now, can mean a lot to your savings at retirement.
SPRING 2016 Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 754 933 632 62.
This information is about Cbus. It doesn’t take into account your specific needs, so you should look at your own financial position, objectives and requirements before making any financial decisions. Read the relevant Cbus Product Disclosure Statement to decide whether Cbus is right for you. Call Cbus on 1300 361 784 or visitcbussuper.com.au for a copy.
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full metal racket
t r a
ets e m in the y r t s indu west The team responsible for the theatre projects We Built this City and Dust is putting together an exciting new community-based project in the western suburbs called the Art & Industry Festival.
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he festival will build local identity, champion local assets and inspire interaction between local artists, residents, industry and businesses. Motivated by the local industrial resources of electricity, oil, petrol, sea water, blue stone, glass and transportation, the inaugural Art & Industry Festival will culminate in multiple art presentations and activities throughout many unique places in the Hobsons Bay area across 10 days from 18 to 27 November 2016. Hubcap Productions will be working with local government to celebrate the industrial and manufacturing past and present of the area through an arts lens. Donna Jackson, who heads Hubcap, has created unique art projects that engage communities through innovative approaches. She was the brains behind We Built this City, made with support from the CFMEU, which featured the skills of 124 construction workers. The show told the story of workers in the industry
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through film, installation, storytelling and a machinery ballet featuring a 100-tonne crane. Jackson also wrote the play Dust, which dealt with the experience of those affected by asbestosrelated diseases. It was produced by Hubcap and toured Australia with collaboration from Mark Seymour, who also featured in We Built this City. Jackson’s work in Dust is now the subject of the book Art and Social Change: Dust – A Case Study.
II Donna Jackson responsible for the Art & Industry Festival
& Industry Festival will create astonishing and important art that will move and connect the local community in authentic, inspiring and surprising ways,’ Jackson said.
For more information go to: artandindustryfestival.com.au
The Art & Industry Festival will create astonishing and important art that will move and connect the local community. Jackson explains that she wanted to investigate the theme of industry that is an important and crucial element of the Melbourne’s western suburbs. ‘Industry is a lens through which we can view and acknowledge the past and generate ideas on how we build and design the future. The Art
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classified ads
meet your organiser uaid Gerry McQ
It would come as no surprise to anyone who knows Gerry McQuaid that he has become a union organiser.
H
ailing from a strong union family and a father who led the Seafarers’ Union in Northern Ireland, it seems like a natural progression for the man who has called Australia home for the last 16 years. Like his father and grandfather before him, Gerry went to sea at the age of fourteen. ‘Every male in my family went to sea and since the day
I started work, I’ve been in the union,’ he says. Encouraged to come to Australia on his 18th birthday by the late Adrian McLoughlin, the former CFMEU organiser affectionately known as Skinner, Gerry changed jobs here and began working as a labourer. ‘I did that for seven years before returning to seafaring for a few years, but having a family made it hard being away at sea, so I came back to the construction industry as a labourer,’ he says.
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Encouraged to step up to the role of shop steward by organiser Theo Theodorou, Gerry has a fundamental belief in the importance of workers being represented. ‘I’ve worked on jobs where there is no union and you see the clear difference of how workers are treated.’
they can approach me to resolve their problems.’ Gerry will be organising in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
He regards the role as ‘an opportunity’ that he is proud to take on. ‘I’ll be going on jobs where there are no standards and I want people to feel that
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BOYCOTT
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C.U.B. stop crushing workers rights
BOYCOTT
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YOUR WAGES
EBA WAGE RATES ONSITE 36-HOUR WEEK: The new EBA brings increases in wages, allowances, superannuation and Incolink contributions.
Be paid-up and proud, it’s worth it! For sector EBA’s see vic.cfmeu.org.au/wages (civil, contract scaffold, precast, traffic control, demolition, apprentices, mobile cranes, steel erection, shop fitting) RATE PER HOUR
RATE PER WEEK
WEEKLY PRO-RATA ANNUAL LEAVE
WEEKLY PRORATA A/ L LOADING
$41.28
$1,486.08
$114.31
$22.76
Painter – new work
$40.35
$1,452.60
$111.74
$22.31
Painter – re-paint
$40.30
$1,450.80
$111.60
$22.29
Marker/Setter-out, Letter Cutter
$42.97
$1,546.92
$118.99
$23.58
Signwriter
$42.07
$1,514.52
$116.50
$23.15
$44.59
$1,605.24
$123.48
$24.37
$40.12
$1,444.32
$111.10
$22.20
$38.80
$1,396.80
$107.45
$21.56
$37.61
$1,353.96
$104.15
$20.99
(36 HOUR WEEK)
Tradespersons Carpenter/Joiner Tile-layer Stonemason Artificial Stoneworker Marble & Slate-worker Plasterer Cladding Fixer Bricklayer
Roof-tiler Special Class Tradesperson: Carver * All Rates include Tool Allowance
Labourers Grade 1 - CW3 - 100% Rigger Dogman Sign industry worker
Grade 2 - CW2 - 96% Scaffolder Hoist/Winch Driver Steel Fixer Concrete Finisher
grade 3 - CW1 - 92.4% Trades Labourer Concrete Gang Jack Hammerman Concrete Cutting Machine Operator
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YOUR WAGES
Crane Crews - Building Sites Tower crane crew - CW7 - 120% Operator and Dogman/Crane hands
$46.74
$1,682.64
$129.43
$25.41
Trainee Dogman/Crane hand (fixed cranes)
$43.47
$1,564.92
$120.38
$23.83
$126.64
$24.92
Plant operators PCW7 - 120% - Excavators over 115 tonnes, Crawler Tractors over 350kw, Graders experienced final trim
$45.73
$1,646.28
PCW6 - 115% - Excavators 65 to 115 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders over 300kw, Crawler Tractors 200 to 350kw, Graders final trim, Construction Trucks over 200 tonnes, Tower Cranes
$44.06
$1,586.16
$122.01
$24.11
PCW5 - 110% - Compactors over 200kw, Excavators 25 to 65 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders 200 to 300kw, Scrapers over 400kw, Crawler Tractors 100 to 200kw, Graders over 130kw, Construction Trucks 120 to 200 tonnes, Mobile Cranes 15 to 100 tonnes
$42.37
$1,525.32
$117.33
$23.29
PCW4 - 105% - Compactors up to 200kw, Excavators 16 to 25 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders 100 to 200kw, Scrapers 300 to 400kw, Crawler Tractors up to 100kw, Graders up to 130kw, Construction Trucks 60 to 120 tonnes, Mobile Cranes up to 15 tonnes
$40.73
$1,466.28
$112.79
$22.50
PCW3 - 100% - Rollers over 10 tonnes, Skid Steer & Backhoe/Loaders over 200kw, Excavators up to 16 tonnes, Wheel & Track Loaders up to 100kw, Scrapers up to 300kw, Construction Trucks 12 to 60 tonnes, Forklift Operators, Winch Drivers & Mobile Hydraulic Platform Operators
$39.11
$1,407.96
$108.30
$21.71
PCW2 - 96% - Rollers 5 to 10 tonnes, Skid Steer & Backhoe/Loaders to 200kw, Construction Trucks up to 12 tonnes
$37.56
$1,352.16
$104.01
$20.96
PCW1 - 92.4% - New Entrant for plant only, Rollers up to 5 tonnes
$36.16
$1,301.76
$100.14
$20.28
Note: If unsure if agreement applies to you, check with the Union for your company sector-specific EBA, e.g. Civil.
EBA Benefits and Allowances
Multi-storey Allowance
Travel allowance: $41.00 per day
Start to 15th floor
$0.54 per hour
Superannuation: $195 per week, or 9.5% of ordinary time earnings, whichever higher.
Floors 16 – 30
$0.64 per hour
Floors 31 – 45
$0.99 per hour
Floors 46 – 60
$1.28 per hour
Floors 61+
$1.57 per hour
Incolink payments: $75.30 per week paid into Incolink. Income protection, trauma insurance and portable sick leave are also available (paid into Incolink). Long service leave: 13 weeks after ten years, pro rata after seven years (paid into CoInvest).
Site & General Wage Related Allowances
Overtime meal allowance: $25.33 when required to work overtime for one and a half hours or more on an ordinary working day.
Service Core Allowance
Living away from home allowance: $770 per week Site allowance: Check the CFMEU Allowances Schedule for more information: cfmeu.vic.org.au/wages
$1.40 per hour
First Aid Allowance Minimum qualification
$2.82 per day
Higher qualification
$4.46 per day
As well as a 5% pay rise every year for three-years, all overtime is double-time, fares and travel are up, living away is up, super is up, and meals are up. Stay paid-up and proud, it’s worth it!
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NEW CFMEU
HOODIES 100%
AUSS
MADIEE
100%
UNION ABLE L I A V A NOW IN & HI-VISK BLAC
OUR BEST EVER HOODIES – GET IN QUICK!
EXCLUSIVE TO THE NEW CFMEU ONLINE SHOP:
VIC.CFMEU.ORG.AU/SHOP