Unions win battle to renegotiate workplace agreement for West Gate Tunnel

An industrial stoush over the West Gate Tunnel is heating up, with Victoria’s construction unions forcing the consortium running the $6.7 billion project back to the negotiating table as a bitter battle continues.

An industrial stoush over the West Gate Tunnel is heating up, with Victoria’s construction unions forcing the consortium running the $6.7 billion project back to the negotiating table.

John Holland and CPB Contractors last year kicked off a bitter battle with the five unions tied to the project after using a little-known legal loophole to push through a workplace deal without their support.

But the Fair Work Commission today rejected the agreement that would have meant most tunnel workers could earn more than $180,000 with penalties, overtime and other allowances.

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An artist’s impression of the West Gate Tunnel project.

It comes days after the Andrews Government introduced controversial new laws to parliament, extending the CityLink deed in return for Transurban bankrolling the tunnel’s construction.

“By continuing to ride roughshod over worker rights and industrial relations best practices, John Holland’s blatant arrogance has now turned this marquee project into bad joke and their disgraceful tactics have now bitten them fair and square on the behind,” CFMMEU Victoria assistant secretary Shaun Reardon said.

Construction has already begun on the project which is expected to connect Melbourne’s western suburbs to the CBD through a new underground river crossing by 2022.

A workplace deal for the Metro Tunnel has already been ticked off but officials have failed to agree on penalties for West Gate Tunnel workers despite more than six months of negotiations.

Acting Premier James Merlino and the roads minister Luke Donnellan inspect a new tunnel boring machine. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Daniel Victory, who represented the Australian Workers’ Union in the case, said the decision was a huge win for workers.

“The Joint Venture (between John Holland and CPB) dug a hole for themselves by starting work and then trying to have these agreements approved,” he said.

“The Westgate Tunnel is an important infrastructure project and the workers who work on the project deserve a proper enterprise agreement with fair pay and conditions.

“The Joint Venture should be trying to work with unions to negotiate an agreement not try and force one through unilaterally.”

A government spokeswoman said work was well underway on the project.

“EBA negotiations for the West Gate tunnel project are entirely a matter for the builder, but we urge all parties to continue to negotiate in good faith,” she said.

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