Plenty of jobs on Coast

Workers hoping for answers on return to beleaguered Jewel site

TRADIES facing an uncertain future today at the $1.4 billion Jewel site are being told to keep their chins up because there is work on the Coast.

Site preparation for The Star’s 53-storey building is about to begin, supplying 1800 construction jobs over the next four years, and Hutchinson Builders said they had another 16 large-scale projects on the go on the Gold Coast.

“The construction industry is still quite active on the Gold Coast and the horizon is still promising,” said Hutchinson Builders team leader Levi Corby.

WORKERS at the $1.4 billion Jewel site are expected to find out their fate today.

Since last Wednesday, hundreds of construction workers have been sacked or left in limbo not knowing if they have a job.

Tradies walked off the site on Thursday and Friday and had a public holiday and industry RDO Monday and yesterday, leaving today as the first potential day to get answers.

Subcontractors have had no further explanation as to what is going on and have no idea what they will walk into today.

“As far as I know the union is holding another meeting but after that I don’t know,” one worker told the Bulletin.

“Everyone is planning to work but I haven’t heard anything. Personally, I think I’ll be right for a while, but I can’t say the same for the other guys – gyprockers, tilers, most of the cabinet makers.

“I haven’t spoken to the union and haven’t heard from Multiplex, so I have no idea what’s going on.”

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union representatives did not respond to the Bulletin’s request for comment.

An insider said the union and workers would meet on site for a report. However, the union would not have much more information as they too were being kept in the dark.

Reasons for the poor communication have been left unanswered, as developer Yuhu Group blames builder Multiplex.

Last week, Yuhu Group said it was still finalising designs and configuration on lowerlevel podium and hotel aspects, which would be put back in the construction schedule. Yesterday, it said it expected work to be in “full swing”, saying the construction schedules are up to Multiplex.

Multiplex said it had been unable to speak publicly due to a contract stipulation.

Subbies United president John Goddard said he did now know what would happen.

“All I know is subbies are losing their jobs, their businesses are going to be affected badly – some might even lose them,” he said.

“They’ve pulled the rug out from underneath them.

“If these blokes lose their jobs, that building should sit there as an unfinished monument of ethics. Any subbie who takes a job on that site after their fellow subbie has been sacked is pretty much s--ting on his fellow worker.”

A Queensland Building and Construction Commission spokesman confirmed an investigation has started.