CFMEU Brisbane protest calls to fix ‘dangerously outdated’ workplace safety system
The CFMEU is warning of rolling protests ahead of next year’s election claiming Annastacia Palaszczuk is leading a “lazy, arrogant” government that has betrayed the working class.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Thousands of CFMEU workers marched on parliament on Thursday morning, accusing Annastacia Palaszczuk of leading an “arrogant, lazy” government that has betrayed the working class.
The CFMEU-organised demonstration demanded the Palaszczuk government act on several calls to “fix” what they described as a “broken workplace health and safety system”.
It was the third mass work stop in as many months, since scaffolder Nation “Nash” Kouka was left fighting for life after a fall at the Boggo Road Cross River Rail construction site.
CFMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar said the lives of workers and the public are being put at risk by systemic failures of safety oversight.
“The Premier talks a lot about representing working people but betrays them when it matters most,” he said ahead of the march.
“Queensland’s workplace safety laws are substandard, the regulator is unresponsive and the attitude of the Minister for Industrial Relations is a disgrace.”
Mr Ravbar denounced Queensland bureaucracy for refusing to modernise “dangerously outdated” safety regulations and claimed the safety inspectorate acts as a “protection racket for dodgy developers and contractors”.
“Nothing less than a total overhaul of the Office of Industrial Relations and its WorkSafe Queensland arm will fix this totally dysfunctional system.”
The rally comes after a legislative review of the Workplace Health and Safety Act Mr Ravbar said failed to address urgent issues raised by workers.
“Even on such glaringly basic levels as requiring female toilet amenities on major building sites, or to close huge deficiencies in the training and licensing of heavy machinery operators,” he said.
“Nor did it address the abject failure of many contractors to allow workers to form Workplace Health and Safety Committees on larger sites.”
“Workers have had a gutful of outdated regulations and a safety inspectorate that takes a Sergeant ‘I see nothing’ Shultz approach to their responsibilities.”
“How much more blood on the concrete will it take for this government to listen and embark on a complete restructure of the omnishambles that is WorkSafe Queensland.”
CFMEU National President Jade Ingham addressed the protesters before leading a call back.
“Labor Party. Blood on your hands,” they chanted.
He then gave an update on Mr Kouka’s condition saying he was now smiling and engaging with his family.
Mr Ravbar told the crowd that between now and October 24 the union will be marching on parliament “again and again to send a message”.
“We will campaign in Grace’s seat from tomorrow we will have things set up wherever we can,” he said.
“We’ll take it up to the government because we tried to do the right negotiation, get a fair adjusted reason about the government.
“Hopefully she’ll practice what she preaches … But we’re going to make her accountable.”
A representative from the plumbers union, Justin Maxwell detailed a resolution to the crowd condemning the Queensland Government for failing on risk to blue collar workers across Queensland and its failure to update and modernise safety laws that are no longer fit for purpose.
“Point two: workers further condemn the government and the Office of Industrial Relations as a dysfunctional Inspectorate at WorkSafe Queensland for failing to enforce the laws, regulations, it does have on the books,” he said.
“The third part of this resolution, we demand the government to immediately commit to a total overhaul the Office of Industrial Relations, WorkSafe Queensland to fix a system which is broken beyond a quick fix and endangering lives of workers and the public across the state.”
Union officials then brought the resolution into parliament to present to the government.
CFMEU Women representative Sue Carlton criticised the lack of legal requirements for worksites to have women’s bathrooms on worksites.
“I’d like to see government buildings get rid of every f*****g female toilet, let them fight every morning for a toilet and facilities,” she said.
Mr Ingham confirmed later the minister had agreed to make female bathrooms on sites mandatory but said negations were ongoing.
More Coverage
Originally published as CFMEU Brisbane protest calls to fix ‘dangerously outdated’ workplace safety system
Homeless crisis could explode ahead of Brisbane Olympics
Queensland’s homelessness crisis could escalate without proper planning ahead of the 2032 Olympics with a “world first” housing report released in a bid to ease pressures.
Mediscare 2.0: Labor hits back at LNP’s mass text campaign
An LNP mass text campaign calling on voters to stop a so-called patients tax by changing the government has been slammed as dishonest. And now Labor has returned the favour.