Stadium builders protest over pay
WORKERS from the North Queensland Stadium who were left worse off than their colleagues by a State Government policy have marched in protest.
Nearly 30 workers from a few Townsville construction companies, including NQ REO, marched down Flinders St to the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union office yesterday.
The workers are demanding the same pay received by their peers who benefited from the implementation of the State Government’s Best Practice Principles policy on May 17, 2018, part way through the construction of the stadium.
Under the policy, all companies that signed on to work on the stadium project on or after May 17, 2018 were entitled to higher wages.
This means that workers from companies that laid the groundwork of the stadium, from when construction began in August 2017, were being paid about 30 per cent less than those that came along after the implementation of the policy.
Owner of NQ REO Michael de Nettis said his workers were “cut up” about the wage disparity, particularly when they had to work sideby-side with colleagues who were being paid more.
The workers gathered at the Washii Construction office on Flinders St and had a few beers before marching towards the union office waving placards and calling for back pay.
The CFMMEU office was closed yesterday due to staff training.
Housing and Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni said if the NQ REO employees “have an issue with their wages, they have an issue with their boss”.
However, Mr de Nettis said the NQ REO contract was never priced to absorb a 30 per cent pay increase, whereas companies that had signed contracts at the stadium after May 17 last year had been paid by the State Government through Watpac to cover the extra wages.
Covering the extra wages cost the state $40 million.
Mr de Nettis, while addressing the group outside the CFMMEU office, called on the Federal Government to look into the State Government’s use of the May 17 date and also the issues facing the stadium.
Federal MP for Herbert Phillip Thompson said the best way to fix the problem was to vote out the State Government at the next election.