News | 18 March

The latest disturbing footage of physical violence, outright corruption and misconduct allegations against the construction union are merely the tip of the iceberg.

As evidence of the extent of the corruption and violence plaguing the construction sector continues to pile up, the community should be shocked into demanding action to eradicate the utter lawlessness, CEO Lisa Kinross said.

“What we’ve seen and heard in the last couple of days, on top of the original allegations that first emerged last July, is, sadly, just the tip of the iceberg,” Kinross said.

“When this scandal first broke in the media last year, we immediately launched Voice of Victims, a confidential mechanism for civil contractors and their workers to safely report their experiences and incidences of alleged violence, bullying and intimidation and misconduct.

“To date, we’ve received scores of reports detailing a wide range of incidents where civil workers and their families have been directly threatened, incidents of industrial sabotage and more.

“The physical and psychological safety of ALL civil construction workers – male and female – and the overall culture of safety on civil construction worksites is absolutely paramount.”

Solutions and action

CCF Victoria fully supports the work of the federally-appointed administrator Mark Irving and acknowledges the challenges he faces in driving lasting reforms.

“The community is rightly asking, ‘What needs to be done to drive out this abhorrent violent behaviour and corrupt misconduct?’,” Kinross said.

“For starters, safety must be the absolute priority. Second, we believe unions must represent their members fairly, with integrity and with their health and safety in mind.

“Third, more transparent procurement ultimately involving genuine agreement, must be the bedrock for restoring civility and cementing a sustainable industry that benefits all parties.

“The State Government’s prompt response last July was welcome but the resulting Wilson Report and recommendations did not go nearly far enough to address the core issue of physical and psychological safety of ALL civil construction workers.

“We will continue to advocate for every contractor, every labourer, every worker having every right to a safe workplace free from physical and mental harm.”

Links

Read CCF’s solutions for Restoring Civility to Civil Construction online:

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