Police called to Cross River Rail site one day after LNP dumped CFMEU’s ‘sweetheart deal’

Just a day after the LNP dumped the controversial CFMEU “tax” members of the militant union have shutdown a Cross River Rail site at Woolloongabba.

Two union members entered the site and demanded to see paperwork, then stopped work. The CFMEU argued the crane workers were not trained properly. Picture: Liam Kidston

Police were called to a Cross River Rail worksite this morning after two CFMEU members stopped works just a day after the government’s suspension of the controversial Best Practice Industry Conditions policy.

Plans to crane lift large steel portions of the Woolloongabba station between 3am and 5am Friday were temporarily halted due to the interruption.

Two union representatives entered the site and demanded to see paperwork and then stood in an exclusion zone, stopping work from proceeding.

It is understood the workers moving the crane needed to lift the station canopy were properly qualified and safety issues raised by the CFMEU members did not apply to those involved in the lift.

The Courier-Mail has been told the union officials put themselves in harm’s way when they entered the site’s exclusion zone, stopping works.

A Cross River Rail delivery authority spokesman said all required documentation was provided to the men, however, they refused to leave the site and police were called.

“All required documentation and safety measures for the lift are in place, and the project’s on-site contractor has advised the lift is still due to proceed,” he said.

“The on-site contractor asked the union representatives to leave site following these discussions, and when they refused, police were called.

“We’re advised the representatives left site before police arrived.”

Day shift workers due to start at 5:30am were forced to sit in break rooms while the lift took place later in the day.

Cross River Rail site under construction.

The CFMEU however, claimed its officials had intervened as some of the workers operating the 130-tonne machine were not appropriately trained.

“CFMEU officials warned site management that this would be in breach of the code of practice,” the union said in a statement.

“Rather than make the work area safe, the operator CPB Contractors called the police on the union officials, and proceeded with the work anyway.

“This is typical cowboy behaviour from a rogue multinational company that always puts profit and production over worker’s safety. The CFMEU is carrying out its own investigation which will involve the WorkSafe regulator.”

A CPB Contractors spokeswoman reaffirmed that all safety standards had been met for the scheduled lift.

“The safety and wellbeing of our people is our number one priority and as always, we ensure that our robust policies and procedures are in place, ensuring the highest standards of safety for everyone working on our projects,” she said.

“All required documentation and safety measures were in place for the crane lift at the Woolloongabba Cross River Rail site, including our correctly qualified team.

“When union representatives refused to leave the exclusion zone, the site team contacted the Queensland Police for assistance.”

The canopy lift was completed successfully.

It comes as the CFMEU, in a post to social media this morning, accused the government of attempting to scrap Workplace Health and Safety measures through its suspension of the BPIC.

The post included a screenshot of an email sent by the mother of Glen Newport who died of heat stroke in 2013 and was accompanied by a caption asking journalists and politicians to read the coronial inquest into Glen’s death.

“The coroner recommended the construction sector adopt an “industry-wide code of practice” to manage the risk of heat,” the union wrote.

“The CFMEU implemented our heat policy soon after. It will save lives this summer just as it does every summer.”

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie at Amazon Place Park today. Picture: Annette Dew

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has reassured tradies that they will still be protected by national safety standards set out by the Fair Work Act, including stopping works due to inclement weather.

“We have statutory workplace health and safety legislation,” he said.

“We have a Workplace Health and Safety Act, we have Fair Work legislation, we have modern awards,” he said.

“A modern award under the Fair Work Act federally, which was signed in 2020 that deals with increment weather, all the issues that work sites deal with across Australia, because it’s a nationalised system.”

By suspending BPIC policy, Mr Bleijie said, the government intends to increase productivity, through measures like limiting RDOs and unscheduled work stoppages.

It is expected to impact industrial relations agreements only, not existing workplace health and safety laws.

Mr Bleijie slammed head of the Queensland Council of Unions Jacqueline King for saying the removal of BPIC would put worker lives at risk.

“It’s a shameful thing to say,” he said.

“Everybody in industry, government, union, wants workers to be safe at work.

“For them to go to that gutter level just shows how desperate they are to continue the CFMEU tax (BPIC) in Queensland because they’ve had it good for ten years.”