Unions after more fees
DEAR Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union ( CFMEU), Queensland Labor and Minister Mick de Brenni,
The last time I checked, which was quite recently, the Building and Construction Award 2010 is state wide.
If employers in Brisbane choose to pay their employees over and above what the award states, then kudos to the employer for being generous.
If there are any contractors that are paying below the award then they should be made to come in line with the current award.
The unions don’t just stop at attacking Watpac and general on site conditions but take it a step further stating that the local contractors on site are not experienced enough to undertake this work.
No wonder there was a walk off on Monday. Your bullying tactics and insults are not received well in the North.
What the unions are proposing, is forcing their standards on the North Queensland Stadium site and unfortunately it appears that it is already a done deal and sneakily the unions stand to make thousands of dollars in union member fees. It is not simply a case of the employer making these additional payments to employees. Contractors have been advised to back pay the union- deemed conditions to May 17 of this year and issue a variation to Watpac for payment by Watpac.
This in reality is technically not the case. This project is a state and federally funded work site so us, the general taxpayer, will be paying these employees’ wages and the budget blow out caused by the unions and Queensland Labor happily going along. Personally, I am outraged with the smear campaign by the unions and State Government to mislead the general public as to what is actually happening.
The State Government is allowing this to happen as they will be relying on union funds to run their election campaign and to have union affiliated members sitting for their safe Labor seats.
In the view that the State Government is not able to control renegade unions, the Federal Government should consider using their clout putting these bullies in their place. JANIS BLACKMAN, Burdell.