A 22-year-old Canadian backpacker killed on a demolition job in Sydney has not only lost his life, but also a financial payout to his family thanks to the dodgy arrangements under which he was employed.

Mathieu Linares Lopez was killed on April 13 when he was hit by a steel beam that fell during demolition of a building in Australia Street, Camperdown.

Mathieu had been working on the site, with a friend, for two weeks when the accident happened. The CFMEU is aware that Mathieu and his friend had raised concerns about safety, but were told to continue working at the site.