Melbourne tradies protest tea room closures at construction sites

Melbourne tradies have been slammed by the Victorian Government after taking to the streets when their worksite tearooms was shut down.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has slammed Melbourne’s tradies who took to the streets to rally against new Covid-19 rules, calling their behaviour “unacceptable”.

“The sort of behaviour we saw from some construction workers today is completely unacceptable,” a government spokesperson told the Herald Sun. “Due to ongoing transmission at construction sites, this industry could very well face further restrictions – or even closure.

“We’ll continue to work with the industry – but the best way for them to stay open is to get vaccinated and work within the rules.”

Construction workers moved tables and chairs onto roads across the CBD on Friday morning after the state government closed tea rooms on worksites.

Tradies will also need to have had their first dose of the vaccine by next Thursday to be allowed to continue working.

Mr Andrews enforced the new restrictions due to the increasing risk of virus transmission within the construction industry.

But the industry’s employees hit back on Friday with workers taking their smoko and lunch break to the street to protest against the new rules.

Workers set up an outdoor break room at the intersection of A’Beckett and Elizabeth streets in Melbourne’s CBD, blocking cars and holding up traffic.

Construction workers enjoy their smoko in the middle of the intersection of A'Beckett and Elizabeth streets in central Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Similar protests were also held outside construction sites on Spencer St and in Richmond.

By midday, a group of tradies were on the move, lugging their chairs into the middle of the King and Lonsdale street intersection and sitting down for another break.

The construction union, the CFMEU, is behind Friday morning’s protest action and claims the closure of tea rooms had “forced” workers into the streets to eat and drink.

Police moved in to surround some protesting groups but no fines were handed out or arrests made.

Protesters were happy to move on when approached by police and no violence was reported.

But Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar wasn’t too impressed with the action taken by tradies across the city.

He warned tea rooms were one of the “most dangerous” spots for the spread of the virus as case numbers continue to rise among construction workers.

Now on the move. pic.twitter.com/Yhoo4jrG18

— Paul Dowsley (@paul_dowsley) September 17, 2021

Mr Weimar said a number of cases in the latest outbreak, including at construction sites, were being transmitted in tea rooms.

“We’ve seen a number of examples, and I appreciate people think it’s amusing, but when you have people across the construction industry and they’re in a small cabin or hut enjoying food and drink together, that’s a significant risk of transmission,” he said.

“It’s a self-evident risk we need to manage. The weather is getting better and it doesn’t seem unreasonable to partake in those activities outside, preferably not on tram tracks.

Tradies blocked roads in protest of the new tea room rules. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar didn’t seem impressed by the protest. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

“I’d appeal to the industry and to the employees, so many sectors, so many employees would love to be at work.

“So many of us would love to be working almost normally and actually, people are bending over backwards to keep the construction industry going and keep important sites going for important reasons.

“Please don’t. I think we all need to be humble on this and recognise the privilege that those of us who are still able to work can get.

“If you can’t sit next to your mates having a sandwich, that doesn’t seem a huge burden to bear.”

CFMEU Victoria state secretary John Setka said the union wasn’t consulted about the new restrictions. Picture: Nicole Garmston

The action drew ire from some Twitter users, who called the tradies privileged.

“Afghan Australians are protesting that the Australian Government has left their families to be killed by the Taliban. Tradies are protesting in Melbourne today not being able to use their tea rooms. Privilege at its worst. We don’t get how lucky we are in this country,” Asylum Seeker Resource Centre chief executive Kon Karapanagiotidis posted.

He then followed up with a second tweet, calling the situation “utter bullshit.”

Seriously had enough of this. Bad enough walking past tradies who are almost always unmasked to start with in clusters. Now getting prioritised for vaccines and lucky to be allowed to work right now. Get some damn bloody perspective. This is utter bullshit. https://t.co/jOYzyFxziB

— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) September 17, 2021

But other well-known users, including One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts and Liberal MP Ryan Smith, were supportive of the move, congratulating the protesters for fighting back against restrictions.

You love to see it, tradies fighting back with typical Aussie Larrakinism https://t.co/adqUZp74Pxpic.twitter.com/3N6tXreB9Z

— Malcolm Roberts 🇦🇺 (@MRobertsQLD) September 17, 2021

This language of working being a privilege and picnicking being a reward rightly angers so many people. These are basic rights, don’t let @DanielAndrewsMP tell you any different https://t.co/EZOTUWntK9

— Ryan Smith MP (@RyanSmithMP) September 17, 2021

Victoria’s construction union, the CFMEU, claimed the new measure to close “smoko sheds” would do nothing to prevent the spread of the virus and posed further health and safety issues for workers.

The union claimed the rule had “forced” thousands of workers to relocate their tables and chairs to the streets.

Construction workers set up smoko in the middle of the CBD. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

They said the large scale construction industry had continually tried to consult with the Andrews government on restrictions as well as investing millions in Covid health and safety measures.

“Hard working construction workers who have fought so hard to keep everyone safe, and are then told by the chief health officer after dirty, hard, dangerous work, they can’t even sit down to have a cup of coffee,” CFMEU state secretary John Setka said.

“The CHO can’t just choose when they want to consult. Next time it would be good if we could all work together to get this right.”

The Premier announced on Thursday that tea rooms would be closed at construction sites and food or drink could not be consumed indoors at work.

Construction workers set up an outdoor break room in central Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Mr Andrews said worker shift bubbles must be practised and all sites would require a CovidSafe marshal.

Construction employees are now unable cross the metropolitan-regional boundary for work and will need to have their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination by 11.59pm on September 23 to be able to continue working during the lockdown.

“Construction workers have a week to get, if they’ve not already got a first dose,” Mr Andrews said.

“We have seen too many cases in construction.”

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