Injured workers to pay price of O’Farrell’s friendship with business
The O’Farrell Government’s plans to cut compensation benefits for injured workers are an extraordinary attack on the State’s workers, the nation’s largest construction union says.
NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell today announced he was slashing workers’ compensation payments and rights to rein in a $4 billion deficit in the WorkCover scheme.
“The WorkCover scheme is not in deficit because of payouts to injured workers, but because of poor investment returns in the wake of the global financial crisis,” Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union NSW president Rita Mallia said.
Union welcomes end of watchdog
CFMEU NSW State Secretary Brian Parker has welcomed the end of the Australian Building and Construction Commission and praised union members for their long commitment to the fight.
“We were promised in 2007 that the ABCC would be binned under a federal Labor Government,” he says.
“I am sure that without the relentless pressure from the CFMEU’s grassroots membership last night’s vote would never have happened.”
CFMEU OUTRAGED BY PREMIER O'FARRELL's INTERFERENCE IN OHS PROSECUTIONS
The CFMEU is outraged at the NSW Government's attempted interference in a number of occupational health and safety prosecutions as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, 17 March 2012.
Incidences that give rise to prosecutions represent the most serious contravention of the law. To seek to delay these cases, that have been properly brought before the Court, is a denial of justice to the victims of workplace accidents and their families.
NSW State President Rita Mallia states:
Building union launches campaign to force O’Farrell to act on crisis in construction
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union will tomorrow (March 16) launch a campaign aimed at forcing NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell to deal with the crisis in the building and construction industry.
The CFMEU plans to secure 10,000 signatures on a petition calling for a government inquiry into tendering and payment practices in the building and construction sector.
International Women’s Day – Be Strong, Be Union
The CFMEU continues its campaign to encourage woman to enter the Construction Industry.
The CFMEU also encourages all women in construction to ‘Be Strong, be Union'.
“Women are often attracted into male dominated industries like construction because of the higher rates of pay they can get in this industry,” said Dave Noonan, National Secretary of the CFMEU Construction & General Division.
Union demands written guarantee
The CFMEU is concerned that the O'Farrell Government has continued to fail to act in respect of the potential collapse of Reed Group.
The building industry is in crisis. Thousands of jobs are at stake.
The CFMEU is holding workplace meetings with all workers on Friday on 2 March at 7am, on the following job sites:
* Newcastle Bypass at Sandgate
* Gosford Highway at Gosford
* Great Western Hwy at Faulconbridge.
CFMEU DEMANDS ACTION FROM NSW GOVERNMENT TO SAVE 10 000 JOBS
The Building and Construction Industry is in crisis. Following the recent collapse of Kell & Rigby, the CFMEU is alarmed to learn that yet another reputable builder Ree Construction are also at risk of collapse, reportedly owing 1500 subcontractors approximately $60-80 million dollars. Many of the jobs are NSW Government projects from the City CBD, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast.
Tendering processes have become such in the NSW construction industry that to win work builders are forced to bid for work at unrealistic prices.
Immigration raid finds illegal workers at John Hunter Hospital site
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union is demanding to know how a company using illegal workers has been able to secure a contract on a government-funded job in Newcastle.
Six illegal workers were detained by immigration officials today during a raid on the John Hunter Hospital works in Newcastle.
CFMEU State Secretary Brian Parker says the union has been highlighting the continued use of sham contracting and dodgy operators on taxpayer-funded government jobs.
Union demands government inquiry into Kell & Rigby collapse
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union has called for a State government inquiry into the collapse of NSW building company Kell & Rigby after meetings with creditors today revealed more than $35 million was owed to about 500 businesses.
CFMEU State Secretary Brian Parker says the money is owed to subcontractors and suppliers of the former iconic NSW builder that collapsed 12 days ago.
CFMEU calls on NSW Government to come clean on planned compo cut
The CFMEU calls on Barry O'Farrell to come clean about cuts to workers compensation.
The surprise departure of the WorkCover Board Chair and CEO and claims that reforms are needed signal bad news for workers.
"History shows at times when investment performance of Workcover lags its workers benefits that are attacked, we saw this in 2001. In good times employers have received premium discounts, by 2010, premium reductions of $1Billion a year, whilst injured workers, especially the seriously injured, continue to suffer on low weekly benefits and small lump sums."
