Something is crook in the state of NSW.

Barry O’Farrell’s Liberal Government was elected with a huge mandate to fix transport and infrastructure.

Yet in its first 12 months in office, the O’Farrell Government appears to be more focused on attacking workers rights than fixing train timetables.

The CFMEU has joined protests against NSW government moves to cap public service workers pay rises by 2.5% and changes to the Industrial Relations Commission that effectively make it powerless in wage negotiations.

It is no surprise then with the State’s construction industry in crisis that Barry O’Farrell is refusing to work with the CFMEU to protect jobs.

The race to the bottom in the sector has claimed high-profile scalps recently with the collapse of builder Kell & Rigby and possible collapse of Reed Construction.

The livelihoods of up to 10,000 workers, sub-contractors and suppliers are affected by the loss of these two companies.

While it may seem surprising to hear a union backing employers, the CFMEU has spoken out strongly in support of both these companies to highlight problems in NSW Government tendering practices and payment processes, also these companies employ our members.

Both builders – who have enterprise agreements with the union and pay their workers the correct rates and entitlements – have worked extensively on government jobs.

However to secure work, legitimate builders such as Reed and Kell & Rigby are increasingly being forced to tender at unrealistic prices because shonky builders who, who engage shonky subcontractors that fail to pay workers correctly are undercutting them.

There are laws and codes in place that ensure any construction worker on a government job should at least be receiving award wages, superannuation payments, workers’ compensation coverage, holiday pay and long service leave.

But this is increasingly not the case. The CFMEU has been targeting government jobs and finding sham contractors taking the work of legitimate builders.

We have called on the O’Farrell to hold a government inquiry into security of payments legislation and tendering practices.

But Mr O’Farrell is refusing to talk to the union about the crisis in the sector and would rather see workers and small businesspeople lose their homes.

The CFMEU will not let that happen and will continue to highlight the need for government intervention to save our members’ jobs.

We are now collecting 10,000 signatures on a petition to force a debate in parliament on the crisis. We need your support. CFMEU delegates have copies of the petition or you can pick a copy up at the union office. Get a copy and get your friends and family to join the fight to save our industry and our jobs.