Over a year ago myself and another proud long-termBLF/CFMEU member were asked by workers on Queens Wharf 5 & 6 to paint a mural on the hoarding. We had a look one day at the hoarding and decided if we are going to do it, we paint the whole thing. It’s a real cool spot to do a piece right there in the city and in front of parliament. We got it approved by the developer/builder first and then started to plan it.
WE BUILT THIS CITY. This is what we decided best sums up our contribution to Brisbane as a city. I have worked for years here as a steel fixer and my mate was a stressor working on many of the building sites round the city for the last decade or more. It makes us laugh even annoyed when we hear these politicians or office workers try tell us what’s good for construction workers in QLD. They’ve never had to lump steel across a deck in the scorching Brisbane summer while a concrete pour is starting next to you because the push is on. Never seen their mates seriously injured on site because of unsafe work conditions.
The union means a lot to us. We know it’s our collective power that protects us on site and that’s why we wanted to remind those that sit in parliament and supposedly represent us, that we do have rights that were hard fought and won in past disputes and IF PROVOKED WE WILL STRIKE.
We decided the cobra will go nearest the Parliament House for that reason. We painted that wall all day and most of the night, came back the next day to finish it off. While we painted, we had many people saying how much they liked it. We heard the ‘Courier Mail’ was lurking about so when they turned up, we hid the paint and sat there with our hands in our pockets to hide the paint stains. ‘Piss off and get a real job’ we thought in our heads.
The following days we heard the state government (Labor) was already whingeing about the snake. They wanted it painted over. I’m glad the builder didn’t. Our union then applied to council and they replied , approving our artwork to remain. From what I’ve been told by workers on site at the QW 5&6, they were always going to move the perimeter of the site out to the kerb and move the artwork inside the job.
Jarrod Bleijie knew this and made his pathetic reel stating he is getting it removed. It’s pretty shit that he wastes so much time and energy trying to censor art like a nazi and not do something constructive as an industrial minister like get our teachers’ and nurses’ the pay rises they deserve and need.
The politicians can try cover our art, pull down our flags, but they can’t take away our solidarity and ability to organise as proud members.
✊CFMEU HERE TO STAY, Solidarity
Knot1 and Koolie , oh yeah ..we are keen to do more sites too.
Reprint from Hard Hat