CFMEU promises double award wage on Gold Coast light rail project already $500 million over budget

THE CFMEU is attempting to lure traffic control workers to the Gold Coast light rail project with the promise of wages almost twice the award.

THE CFMEU is attempting to lure traffic control workers to the Gold Coast light rail project with the promise of wages almost twice the award – as the state government project suffers a $500m blowout.

A flyer being circulated by the union and obtained by The Courier-Mail shows the CFMEU spruiking full time wages as a traffic controller of almost $50 per hour for a 36 hour work week – with casual rates above $62.

It also offers more than $22 per day for meals, $37 for travel each day and 2 RDOs per month on the Gold Coast light rail project.

Workers on the light rail site along the Gold Coast Highway around Mermaid Beach and Miami. Pics Adam Head

But civil construction insiders have told The Courier-Mail some workers were much more likely to work closer to 50 hour work weeks – meaning their hourly-rate at time and a half could easily push $75.

Assuming a 50 hour week for 48 weeks of the year, it could mean a traffic control worker could earn up to $150,000 each year.

The job ad comes after whistleblowers claimed earlier this month that the state government’s Best Practice Industry Conditions policy was costing taxpayers millions and slashing productivity.

The policy – backed by the CFMEU and Ministers Mick de Brenni and Mark Bailey – came under fire by a number of high-ranking construction insiders who claim it was adding significant cost pressures to already under-strain key projects.

The contract for the state three of the Gold Coast light rail project was signed early last year, with construction giant John Holland picking up the deal.

The CFMEU are promising a big payday for workers.

Mr Bailey was quoted at the time conceding the cost of the project had risen significantly, telling reporters “we expected it to be about a billion a year ago, and the business case was $709m” – with the final cost figure at $1.2bn.

He was also said at the time BPIC had impacted the project saying “it’s contributed to some of the cost increase”.

A CFMEU spokesman told The Courier-Mail traffic controllers sadly had one of the highest risk of fatality, and it was a “very dangerous” job.

He also said it involved “a lot more than holding a lollypop”, with controllers also in charge of traffic management and needing to undertake qualifications to do the job.

The light rail project is already $500m over budget.

The CFMEU deal offered workers income protection worth up to $1600 per week if uninjured, and redundancy trust of $81 per week, and a training fund of $10 per week.

The flyer also proclaims “join the CFMEU and fight for a decent day’s pay for a decent day’s work”.

Workers on CFMEU building projects earn slightly less rates – but still above $44 per hour full-time and $55 per hour casual.

The ad claims workers with Altus traffic earn half of what workers on CFMEU projects would – approximately $31 per hour for casuals and $25 per hour part time.

Originally published as CFMEU promises double award wage on Gold Coast light rail project already $500 million over budget