Construction worker’s near death workplace incident sparks tradie unrest at Gold Coast Jewel site

THE near death of a construction worker at the billion-dollar resort development ‘Jewel’ has revealed an alleged underbelly of unsafe worksite cover-ups and low confidence in the country’s largest union.

A SERIOUS accident that almost killed a man at the Gold Coast’s biggest worksite this week has revealed deep unrest between the workers and the country’s largest union.

A number of workers at the $1 billion Jewel development in Surfers Paradise contacted the Bulletin yesterday to voice concern about the work practices and management of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Construction Union (CFMEU).

A majority of the 1000 people employed at the Jewel site are union members.

But disgruntled workers allege:

* Accident sites have been cleaned up before Workplace, Health and Safety officers arrived on-site.

The scene at Jewel worksite at Broadbeach after workers stopped work over safety concerns. Picture Glenn Hampson

Work has stopped for the past few days. Picture Glenn Hampson

* That the union was “too close” to site contractor Multiplex.

* Flyers had been distributed around union work sites showing “no confidence” in the movement.

The CFMEU vigorously denied the allegations yesterday, saying: “Any allegation that this union is in the pocket of Multiplex is farcical, and not supported by facts. We have not encouraged anyone to stay at work in the last few days, and will always stand up for workers who feel unsafe, and that’s our record.”

A man, aged in his 20s, remains in Gold Coast University Hospital with a broken shoulder and ribs and a punctured lung after he was crushed in the tower one elevator shaft on Tuesday. Only the quick-thinking actions of a colleague, who pressed an emergency stop button, saved him from further injury or death, witnesses said.

The worksite the day after a tradie was nearly killed on site.

“The kid was just moments away from dying. If that hoist went half a foot further, there’s no doubt he would be dead,” one worker said.

“There have been so many near misses.

“A worker broke his leg in four places, back in September. Four people were in the immediate vicinity. The entire accident area was cleaned before Workplace Health and Safety came in to investigate so it would be deemed minor.

“Six months before Christmas there were issues with things falling, nuts, z-bars, plates. They were going to net the building, so to contain a lot of the fallout. After Christmas supervisors came back and said it would be too expensive.

Workers even have a pool to see who will be injured first. Picture Glenn Hampson

“We all feel very vulnerable. Those who work on the lower levels have a pool they put money into, to see who’ll be the first one hit by something.”

Another worker said a colleague was laid off after complaining about special protective masks not being provided to stop silica dust being inhaled.

“The whole culture has gone down the drain. We were replaced by labour hire, everything the union stands against.

“Now there’s a young fella who’s been mangled in a hoist. That kid is lucky he’s alive. And I know for a fact it was raised why they were doing that work at the time they did.”

Flyers emblazoned CFME-WHO and VOTE NO CONFIDENCE was distributed to union sites state wide earlier in the year.

”We all feel very vulnerable,” one worker told the Bulletin. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The poster was put on all smoko room tables, including the Jewel. It had workers en masse questioning inaction on many job sites,” a worker said.

“A chain fell off one of the buildings the other day, the safety adviser said it was a bird — probably a seagull or something,” he said.

Other workers questioned the relationship between the union and Multiplex, saying they had been told at safety meetings to stop blaming the contractor and several officials were aligned to both parties.

The Jewel sales office in Surfers Paradise. Photo: Kathleen Skene

Union workers walked off the site yesterday at the request of union management.

An angry CFMEU Gold Coast official Scott Vink told the Bulletin on Tuesday that the way the work had been carried out at Jewel had been “raised many times by workers”.

“The practices performed will be reviewed and I’m 100 per cent confident to say they will be changed moving forward.

“This could have been prevented and workers will be demanding safer practices and supervision being implemented,” he said of Tuesday’s accident.

Workers would likely continue to stand down until safer work practices are implemented and adopted, particularly around hoist work.

What the resort will look like: Jewel resort, Tower Three, Gold Coast. Picture: supplied

CFMEU assistant state secretary Jade Ingham yesterday refuted all claims of wrongdoing and said meetings would continue until workers felt completely safe to return to work.

“We’ve wanted to get our facts straight on the incident itself, rather than hang a poor worker who nearly lost his life out to dry. Our primary concern is for him.”

Workplace Health and Safety said it could not make further comment while the investigation was ongoing.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace would not go into the accident, saying only: “Workplace Health and Safety Queensland will take appropriate actions as required. The health and safety of workers is a top priority for this Government.”

Developer Yuhu Group declined to comment and referred the matter to the contractor, Multiplex.

Multiplex’s construction manager would not comment yesterday. On Tuesday, he said the company took the safety of all workers seriously.

“It is our first priority and we are focusing our efforts on a safe resolution to this incident,” he said.