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Issue No. 141 | 21 June 2002 |
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Bitter Pills
Interview: The Fels Guy Solidarity: Life or Death? Unions: Back to Basics International: Global Terror History: Sorry Business Technology: Future Active Satire: Executive Presents PowerPoint Eulogy at Mother�s Funeral Poetry: Santa Claus Was Coming to Oz Review: Dial 'M' For Minority Report
The Soapbox The Locker Room Week in Review Bosswatch
 Tanya IncTom Bites BackRoot Canal Therapy
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News Royal Gaze Averted as Bosses Shut Down and Fined
Even more sensationally, state government safety officers shut down the adjoining site, also brought to Royal Commission notice by the CFMEU.
Reacting to public pressure during the first week of hearings in Sydney, the Royal Commissioner, having attempted to remove safety from public hearings, requested that the union nominate sites he should inspect. However, when the builder at 38 Marlborough St, Flemington, declined to co-operate Cole opted for a guided tour around Grocon's Manning House development in inner-city, Pitt St. Sources said he was exposed to "Rolls Royce safety standards" on a heavily-unionised job. Meanwhile, in Marlborough St, Flemington, where a handful of workers keep union membership under wraps for fear of repercussions, every-day reality escaped his gaze. Between them, the builder and sub-contractors at 38 Marlborough St, attracted three prohibition notices, two improvement notices and two fines for occupational health and safety breaches. It was worse next door at Number 40. Inspectors closed the job, giving notice of their intention to issue six improvement notices, four prohibition notices and level thousands of dollars in fines. CFMEU organiser Serge Saliadarre called the conditions "disgraceful, but not unusual". The organiser responsible for the city's inner and mid-western suburbs said he came across similar situations every day. "If the Commissioner was interested, I could take him to 10 jobs in my area alone where health and safety standards are shithouse," he said. Cole, who has subpoenaed workers and issued all-embracing discovery orders against their union, said he had no more right to enter a workplace than any member of the public. To do so, without permission, would have made him guilty of trespass. CFMEU state secretary, Andrew Ferguson, argued the Flemington sites had been so bad an open-minded observer wouldn't have needed to have physically entered the premises. Disappointed, by the Commission's failure to follow up on the information it had requested, the CFMEU has formally asked that it subpoena documentation from the Flemington sites. "The CFMEU seeks the Royal Commission subpoena all relevant documentation relating to payments to contractors on these site ie. contract payments, wage and time records, taxation and superannuation payments," Ferguson requests in a letter to Commission secretary, Colin Thatcher. "In terms of safety, the CFMEU seeks that you subpoena footage from Channel Ten (not screened on TV) taken on Sunday June 16, 2002. This footage will verify to the Royal Commission the appalling safety standards on this site." "The CFMEU seeks that the Royal Commission subpoena evidence in respect of industry and site specific Occupational Health and Safety inductions completed on this site. Also of value would be documentation in respect of OH&S memorandum, OH&S committee meetings and a copy of the site acccident report book. "In addition you will, I assume, receive documentation from Workcover arising from their audit." Ferguson is also urging the Commission to investigate Workers Compensation Certificates of Currency for the two jobs. The CFMEU has long argued that building industry employers routinely engage in Workers Compensation fraud.
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