Workers turned away as CFMEU blocks Cross River Rail site

As Cross River Rail bosses urge workers to get back on site, the blockading CFMEU has released what it calls evidence of another accident the same day a worker was critically injured in a 12m fall.

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A CFMEU blockade has prevented access to a Cross River Rail site where a scaffolder was critically injured after falling 12m this week, as the project’s head tells workers to get back to work.

Tensions were threatening to boil over outside the Boggo Road site on Thursday morning, with about 40 CFMEU members confronting workers as they attempted to enter.

The CFMEU blocking the Cross River Rail site on Thursday. Picture: Shaye Windsor

Arguments broke out as workers were forced to turn around and leave, with union members telling them the site was unsafe and would remain closed until Monday.

Scaffolder Nation “Nash” Kouka, 54, is still fighting for life after the fall at the station construction site on Tuesday, which the CFMEU claimed was witnessed by Mr Kouka’s son.

It came as the CFMEU said a second incident had occurred on Tuesday in which a “heavy piece of steel rod fell from height at the Roma Street tunnel site and through the windscreen of a telelifter (forklift), missing the operator by a matter of inches”.

“The catastrophic incident at the Boggo Rd site on the Cross River Rail project is far from an isolated event,” the union posted on Facebook.

“True to form, (contractor) CPB did not notify HSRs (health and safety representatives) or union officials who were on site the morning of the incident.”

The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority said it was aware of an incident on Tuesday where a heavy steel rod fell and smashed the screen of a forklift.

A spokesman said no one was injured and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland was immediately notified and had issued an improvement notice.

A statement reiterated that safety was a “top priority”.

The steel rod embedded in the windscreen of the telelifter

As the shutdown continued on Thursday, CFMEU members were present at multiple entrances of the Gabba Cross River Rail construction site.

Workers could be seen within the site about the demountable offices.

Seven union members stood in front of the Albert St site entrance at 9.30am, where it appeared no work was being undertaken inside.

At the Exhibition construction site there were workers in the offices and a forklift could be seen driving in the car park being constructed.

There was also no work being conducted at the Roma St site.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey on Wednesday admitted he’d be concerned to return to the Cross River Rail site if he was a worker as he ordered a detailed safety audit of the major project, with workers not set to return to work until Monday.

In an email sent to workers on Wednesday afternoon, Cross River Rail project director Andrew Large asked staff to return to their usual workplace on Thursday – less than 48 hours after the fall – to “start the consultation and engagement process focused on specific activities on your site”.

“Your welfare is paramount and your return to your workplace to start the engagement and consultation process will allow the safe return to normal operations,” he wrote.

Mr Large also encouraged workers to use the workplace-funded assistance programs for those who wanted to speak to a counsellor.

Earlier, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland confirmed it had issued 337 notices as of June 30, 2023, including 268 “improvement” notices, 30 infringements carrying small fines and 38 stop-work “prohibition notices”.

Nation "Nash" Kouka. Picture: Supplied

But the “lost time injury frequency rate” was significantly lower than industry average according to the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority.

A spokesman said the volume of notices were not unusual for a project its size, though “they are nonetheless taken seriously”.

Thursday’s blockade comes after union members marched in the CBD on Wednesday chanting “f--k them”, “workers lives are not for profit” and “Cross River fail”.

Speaking on Thursday morning CFMEU national president Jade Ingham said labour had been withdrawn from the site due to safety concerns.

“It’s about information and it’s about education, unfortunately, with a contractor like CPB, the head contractor, they like to keep people in the dark,” he said.

“So they’ve (union members) just turned up this morning to ensure that anyone that missed that opportunity to go to the meeting can hear the resolution.”

The CFMEU’s Jade Ingham. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Mr Ingham claimed subbies contracted by CPB have been threatened directly and accused of engaging in illegal industrial action.

“We don’t even know the prognosis of the gentleman that’s still in the PA hospital in critical condition and they’re already rushing to try and get people back to work,” he said.

He described the behaviour of CPB as “abhorrent”

“We have been arguing since the start of this project for proper safety systems, for proper representation of workers on the site,” he said.

“It seems as though anyone that puts their hand up to do a job as a health and safety representative or their workmates gets threatened or sacked.”

Jade Ingham speaks to CFMEU members during a protest in the Brisbane CBD on Wednesday. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Mr Ingham said he had not received any correspondence in relation to the list of demands presented to CPB on Wednesday.

“It seems as though the contractor CPB refuses to listen. I just hope that it’s not too late when they decide to go into listen,” he said.

“But history would tell you that if there is such a toxic culture of safety and fear and intimidation of workers who complain about safety, that it’s only a matter of time.”