Annastacia Palaszczuk ‘has betrayed working class’, says CFMEU

Thousands of unionists marched on Queensland parliament on Thursday demanding an overhaul of ‘dangerously outdated’ workplace safety laws.

Members of the CFMEU protest against the Palaszczuk government outside Parliament house in Brisbane on Thursday. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

The head of Queensland’s CFMEU says Annastacia Palas­zczuk is leading an “arrogant, lazy” government that has betrayed the working class.

Thousands of unionists marched on Queensland parliament on Thursday demanding an overhaul of “dangerously outdated” workplace safety laws.

Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union state secretary ­Michael Ravbar threatened to campaign against the government in the lead-up to the October 2024 state election if it did not address concerns, referencing the 2012 union campaign against Anna Bligh’s asset sales.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during Question Time at Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

The CFMEU wants a total overhaul of the Office of Industrial Relations and its WorkSafe Queensland arm, saying workers’ lives were being put at risk.

Addressing the rally, Mr Ravbar said the union was not asking for “massive changes”.

“One thing about Palaszczuk is she has never been visionary and bold, so I didn’t ask for f..king too much,” he said. “This is just the start … between now and October 2024, we’ll be marching here again, and again, to send a message that we want change.”

Ms Palaszczuk on Monday addressed leadership speculation from within Labor ranks, saying she needed to stay on as Premier to show “good people” could lead governments and to give Queensland’s young women and girls a role model. “People of this state understand that they have someone who cares about them, knows them, and wants the best for them and their family,” she said.

Mr Ravbar rebuked the Premier’s comments at the rally and said the workers who marched on parliament were “representative of a broader community that was fed up with the Palaszczuk government”.

“She said that the reason why she will get voted in 2024 … was that she cared,” he said.

“I haven’t seen it with the health crisis, I haven’t seen with the youth crime, I haven’t seen it with the housing crisis.

Thousands of union protesters have marched on Qld parliament calling for an overhaul of workplace health and safety laws. pic.twitter.com/k3BadqqmaL

— Lydia Lynch (@LydiaLynch101) September 14, 2023

“But you never know, people do change and it’s a funny thing, there’s an election a year away.”

A government spokesman said Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace would meet with a delegation of union officials on Thursday.

“Unlike the LNP which sacked workers and attacked their rights, the Palaszczuk government is committed to ensuring workers are treated with dignity and fairness and are protected when they go to work,” he said.

“Robust health and safety laws are critical to ensuring workers are protected and that those in control of workplaces are held to account when the law is not ­followed.

“To ensure our Work Health and Safety laws remain robust, effective and enforceable, a review of the act was recently completed and the government accepted all 31 recommendations.”

Mr Ravbar said the review had not addressed urgent issues raised by workers, including requiring female toilets on major building sites.

“This government is arrogant, it is lazy, it has lost its focus, but we’re going to make them accountable,” he said.

The rally followed long-­running concerns by the CFMEU about safety issues on the Cross River Rail, the state’s biggest infrastructure project.

In July, a construction worker suffered serious injuries when he fell 12m at the project’s Boggo Road site worksite.