Queensland Children’s Hospital Dispute Leader Bob Carnegie will be Speaking at the Socialist Alternative Public Meeting on Tuesday (11 Sept 2012)
The community protest at the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH) site has lasted for 38 days. The workers are fighting for two things. The first is demanding Abigroup sign a union EBA, thereby replacing their non-union EBA currently in operation. Second, that Abigroup sign off on a subcontactors’ clause, which in effect means that workers doing the same work are paid at the same rate.
If Abigroup gets its way and enforces lower wages, conditions and safety standards at the huge QCH site – one of the biggest in the state – then no other site is safe. Wages could be driven down by as much as $10-12 per hour, or about $500 per week.
Those workers at QCH who dare to take a stand have received anonymous death threats and been subjected to intensive surveillance and harassed by private investigators. Union officials have been injuncted so that they cannot go near the site.
On Friday night things reached a new low when CFMEU member Dennis Strano was pulled out of his bed by police, handcuffed and charged at the police watch house with common assault for an alleged attack on a security guard. This alleged attack comprised Denis pointing a laser pointer – such as teachers use on PowerPoint presentations – at the guard!
But the workers and their supporters are not intimidated by the bosses and the state. On any given morning 100 or more turn up to the community protest. Nothing moves on the site as the protest is solid.
The community protest is held every weekday morning (except next Monday) from 5.30am at the Graham Street entrance to the construction site (corner of Vulture Street, opposite South Bank station). The workers welcome support and visitors.
Community picket organiser Bob Carnegie will will be speaking as our special guest at the Socialist Alternative public meeting on Tuesday night.
Venue: Majo’s restaurant, 695 Brunswick Street, New Farm (cnr Annie Street).
Meeting starts at 6.30pm with a talk and discussion on “The Politics of George Orwell”, before turning to a discussion about the state of the anti-LNP struggle in Queensland, which will feature reports from the campuses (UQ & QUT) and also industrially (Bob Carnegie, who will be reporting on the QCH dispute).