What you said about 10,400 working days lost in Qld in June due to CFMEU and union strikes

Australia’s ‘strike capital’ remains Queensland but there are furious calls for change. HAVE YOUR SAY

CFMEU workers on the march in Brisbane’s CBD

Queensland’s unions are coming under fire after it was revealed a staggering 10,400 working days were lost to industrial action in the June quarter.

The eye-watering figure is 1000 days, or 10 per cent, higher than in the three months prior.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for the three months to June 30 reveal the significant time lost to industrial disputes in Queensland above the rest of the nation.

The state’s 10,400 days lost was significantly higher than the next worst, Western Australia, which lost 4500 working days to industrial action.

Remuneration and employment conditions were the key enterprise bargaining-related causes of working days lost, alongside health and safety concerns.

New South Wales and Victoria both lost 2400 days in the June quarter.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said the lost hours were largely due to bargaining between private companies and unions under Commonwealth law, not the Queensland public sector.

Queensland’s largest infrastructure project, the $6.3bn Cross River Rail build, has been the site of a major industrial battle between the CFMEU and major contractor CPB.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire

The CFMEU, in its 11th consecutive week of strike action against CPB, accused the company of offering a cash bribe to striking workers in a desperate bid to end the ongoing industrial stalemate.

CFMEU civil construction co-ordinator Dylan Howard said: “Cross River Rail workers have been taking industrial action for better safety conditions and job security, not one-off cash payments.”

Readers, though, were not as forgiving.

Many claimed the CFMEU and other unions continue to hamper the state, as well as hold Labor to ransom.

Others said these figures showed where Queensland is heading.

See what you had to say below and join the conversation >>>

WHAT YOU SAID

What a mess

Louise

The Unions and the State are totally out of control. The debt pileup will be a huge problem for the incoming government let alone confronting the youth crime crisis. How did we all (voters) let it get to this?

DrewP

Not our fault. Look at that distraction over there.

Dave

The cfmeu today, are they on strike? Or have they downed tools - over 20 degrees would be too hot.

Defund The ABC

John Howard warned Australia about this 15-20 years ago.

Cal

Productivity in the country is going backwards which will keep increase rates high. Sadly the average person does not understand how the economy works. Striking only makes life harder not better in the long term.

I blame unions

William

We want more money

We want to work less

We don’t care if it reduces productivity

It is irrelevant if it costs everyone more

It doesn’t matter if we sent businesses to the wall

We will continue to march and demand more, regardless who it makes poor!

Matt

Abolish the unions - they are striking to show Miles who his controller is

John

If it is the intention of the CFMEU to civilise the civil construction industry, given the violence and intimidation against fellow workers at certain sites by some of the CFMEU members then they are not succeeding in their quest.

Timothy

Labor and unions aren’t needed

Alfred

Do we even need unions in this day and age. We already have safety systems built into legislation.

Members of the Queensland Electrical Trades Union and other Unions rallied in Brisbane in September to defend the CFMEU. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

You gotta laugh

HarryB

Well, we won something?

Andrew

Simple folks, vote Labour, Greens and Teals out in October and take away union power. But if you don’t, then stop complaining.

Paul

Labor is simply the political arm of the unions, so basically we have the perfect example of the old saying about the inmates running the asylum

R

Labor Government setting new records. Let’s hope the State Election sets a new record - the lowest number of Opposition Labor politicians ever!!