Tools down, dukes up: union in Covid revolt

Victoria shuts down its $22bn construction industry following violent protests in which union members joined forces with anti-vaxxers.

The Andrews government has ordered an immediate shutdown of Victoria’s $22bn construction industry following violent protests in which union members joined forces with anti-vaxxers, smashing the windows of the CFMEU’s headquarters, throwing flares and projectiles, and hurling abuse at union boss John Setka.

The decision came after more than a week of threats from the government to close worksites, after the industry was linked to hundreds of Covid-19 cases and the seeding of the virus into ¬regional local government areas.

It also followed the issuing of a strongly worded joint statement from building industry unions ¬including the CFMEU, ETU, Plumbers Union and AMWU, which accused the government of introducing “heavy-handed” health directions that had “only served to drive many people towards the anti-vax movement”.

The Australian understands cabinet had made the closure decision on Monday morning — ostensibly on advice from chief health officer Brett Sutton — but rushed to announce it earlier than planned in response to the protest.

Victorian police try to restore peace outside the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne’s CBD on Monday. Picture: David Geraghty

At least 500 protesters swarmed the CFMEU headquarters in Elizabeth Street, just north of the city, for much of Monday. The crowd included mostly men without masks who donned high-vis jumpers.

Some anti-lockdown protesters seen at Saturday’s violent rally in Richmond were also spotted at the scene.

Despite pleas from Mr Setka to “please calm down”, the protesters drowned him out with many of the expletives he’s renowned for using. Punches were thrown and scuffles broke out throughout the day.

Personal insults hurled at Mr Setka included “you gutless c..t” — or group outbursts of “F..k the jab”, “stand up or stand down”, and “Dan Andrews’ b..ch.”

A daily industry engagement call set to take place between the government and stakeholders at 7pm was cancelled at the last minute, and they were instead told of the shutdown in an online meeting some described as “very heated”.

The closure will affect all sites in metropolitan Melbourne, Ballarat, Geelong, the Surf Coast and the Mitchell Shire, with the exception of 11 critical infrastructure projects, and emergency repairs. It was due to start at 11.59pm on Monday.

John Setka, centre, tries to calm down an angry unionist during a day of violent protests. Picture: AAP

Work will be permitted to render sites safe and to secure them to prevent looting.

Industry sources estimated the closure would cost $450m a week, in a sector that employs 300,000 Victorians and has thus far been protected from closures by a government that has shut down many other key industries.

Monday’s violent clashes followed the government’s announcement last Thursday that construction workers would no longer be permitted to cross ¬between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria for work, after cases seeded from Melbourne to regional LGAs including Ballarat, Geelong, Surf Coast, Bass Coast and Mitchell Shire.

All construction sites were required to close tea rooms and introduce worker shift bubbles and Covid-19 marshals from Friday. All workers are required to have received or booked at least one dose of vaccine before midnight this Friday, unless they have a medical exemption.

Warning of the potential for the sector to be shut down early last week, Victorian Covid-19 logistics chief Jeroen Weimar said building sites accounted for 456, or 13 per cent, of the state’s then 3507 active cases. As of Monday, there were 5675 active cases in Victoria.

A construction site in Box Hill, in Melbourne‘s east, has been linked to at least 180 cases alone.

A protester prepares for a fight in Melbourne on Monday. Picture: David Geraghty

Mr Weimar detailed 27 cases among Monday‘s 567 new cases that had been linked to highly mobile construction sector workers at sites ranging from Spotswood in Melbourne’s west to Lara on the way to Geelong, Cannie in the state’s northwest near Swan Hill, Lilydale on the city’s outer northeastern fringes, and Craigieburn in the outer north.

In their joint statement, the coalition of building unions said they had “strongly conveyed to the highest levels of government that mandatory vaccination requirements and the removal of amenities such as tearooms would be “unworkable and too heavy handed”.

“We have pointed out that these hastily written restrictions will lead to discontent, anger, and division within the industry, and we will continue to campaign against them,” the unions said.

“As we have done privately through industry forums and directly with the government, we call on the Andrews government, chief health officer, and the Department of Health to come to a sensible return-to-work scenario that accommodates the reality of our industry and respects the workers who have built this city.

The unions said they had “never supported mandatory vaccination”. “This heavy-handed mandate by the chief health officer, which was implemented with no notice, has only served to drive many people towards the anti-vax movement,” the statement read.

Mr Andrews described the CFMEU headquarters as an “illegal gathering” but downplayed the extent to which the workers were representative of their industry, citing examples of hundreds of tradies getting vaccinated over the weekend.

“Protests don‘t work. Getting vaccinated works; following the rules works,” Mr Andrews said.

“That‘s how you stay open, that’s how you get open if you’re not open now. None of those decisions are made lightly about the rules that apply on a building site.”

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said the attack on the CFMEU office had been “orchestrated by violent right-wing extremists and anti-vaccination activists”.

“Those exploiting this pressure and seeking to divide people are a danger to us all,” she said.