Trad’s solution: ‘ pay fair wages’
DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad has dismissed concerns from Townsville contractors that the State Government’s procurement policy will cause dissent among the local workforce.
Ms Trad was in Townsville yesterday to turn the sod on a $ 35 million revitalisation of the Pimlico TAFE campus, which is expected to create almost 100 full- time jobs and will fall under the Government’s Buy Queensland procurement policy.
Townsville contractors have blamed the policy for an ongoing dispute over the North Queensland Stadium, but Ms Trad said contractors and subcontractors just needed to pay “fair wages”.
“We want to make sure that where the Queensland Government invests Queensland taxpayer funds into large infrastructure projects, workers are getting a fair outcome; that means, fair EBA rates, that means a safe environment and that’s what Buy Queensland is all about,” she said.
Local contractors have told the Bulletin they fear the introduction of “best practice” industrial relations will add significant costs for contractors and flow on to other private projects.
But Ms Trad said she did not believe that people living in Townsville should get paid less than workers in southeast Queensland.
“If you’re a contractor, if you’re a subcontractor, you need to pay your workers fair wages,” she said.
It comes as Housing and Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni has come under fire from the LNP for attacking the stadium’s managing contractor Watpac for giving work packages to subcontractors that don’t meet the required standard.
Watpac managing director Martin Monto hit back at the allegations and said the company had started implementing the updated procurement policy after receiving “final instruction” from the Government last week.
When asked if she believed it responsible of the Government to publicly criticise Watpac for its behaviour without presenting direct evidence of wrongdoing, Ms Trad refused to answer.
“I’m actually just not going to get into that,” she said. “What I’m here to do is to turn the sod and commence the construction of a very important project for Townsville, a $ 35 million investment in the Pimlico TAFE.”
The refurbishment includes the construction of a new $ 26 million building.
Mundingburra MP Coralee O’Rourke said the new facilities would provide a greater range of training opportunities for students.
“The redevelopment will provide a simulated nursing ward, a new ground- floor cafe, restaurant, training bar and cellar for access by the local community, and modern hair and beauty facilities, as well as general teaching and social learning spaces,” she said.