Rioting construction workers free to claim support payments

Construction workers involved in riots across Melbourne will be free to claim government support, adding to the bill caused by the mayhem.

Construction workers involved in chaotic riots across Melbourne will be free to claim up to $1500 in government support, adding to the taxpayer funded bill to police the mayhem.

Under current rules, anyone who loses more than 20 hours of week in a week can receive $750 Covid-19 disaster payment, while $450 payments are available for those who lose between eight hours and 20 hours.

The Herald Sun can also reveal the state government sought extra support from the Commonwealth for affected workers after deciding to shut down the construction industry for two weeks.

But the request was rejected by the federal government because existing Covid-19 support measures would cover those workers.

Scott Morrison confirmed on Wednesday morning that the disaster payment for construction workers was “there to support them at this time”.

Construction workers march through Melbourne’s streets.

Opposition spokesman for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, Nick Wakeling, said it was “perverse” that the “kneejerk” shut down of construction industry could see protesters handed taxpayer money.

“As we can see, this decision was wrong on so many levels,” he said.

It comes as new figures reveal the dramatic spike in Covid cases associated with construction sites in the past six weeks.

Department of Health data reveals there were 160 cases linked to the industry in the first 557 days of the pandemic, before it soared to 337 in just 46 days to September 20.

The number of outbreak and exposure sites also jumped from 59 to 154 over the same time periods.

But the Herald Sun can reveal that the industry will push for a guaranteed return to work date, tea rooms to be reopened and workers to again be permitted to move between the regions and Melbourne once construction restarts.

It comes amid speculation the state will check compliance with vaccine mandates through QR codes on each site.

Unions, organisations and senior bureaucrats will meet over the next week on a plan for the massive sector to reopen after a two-week shutdown announced late Monday night.

It is understood there will be a push for compromises on contentious rules, including requests that workers can have lunch in team rooms and the regional ban.

Thousands have joined the protests in recent days.

The group will argue the changes can be safely made, given the government’s mandate that all construction workers be vaccinated.

Tim Piper, the Victorian Head of the peak employer association Ai Group, is pushing for certainty around the reopening of the sector, calling for a guarantee return to work date.

“The industry needs time and certainty to plan for getting underway from day one,” he said.

“Financial support should be widely available to both builders and supplier businesses standing-down employees.

“They should not suffer financially because of a decision made by government due to the behaviour of a relative few in the industry not following Covid-safe rules.”

CFMEU boss John Setka said the union was trawling through Facebook footage to identify protesters, vowing that those who attacked its headquarters would not work on construction sites again.

“Unfortunately there are some CFMEU members there,” he said.

“People that were involved in the violent protest. They might as well go pick fruit in Mildura or something because they will not be working in our industry.”

Mr Setka the industry was shut because of the protesters.

“Unlike other people who have lost everything and have not worked since April last year, we have worked and we have tried everything,” he said.

“300,000 people and their families at the moment are suffering.”

Originally published as Rioting construction workers free to claim support payments