Mine Union backs Rights on Site

Date: 26 August 2008

The Mining and Energy Union is giving its full support to a campaign launched yesterday to pressure the Rudd Government to restore democratic and civil rights to workers in the construction industry.

The campaign features a TV advertisement, website and other materials to alert the Australian public about the draconian repressive powers of the Howard Government's Australian Building Construction Commission (ABCC) and to build public support for getting rid of the laws.

National Secretary of the CFMEU Construction Division, Dave Noonan, said the ABCC has forced ordinary workers to attend interrogations under threat of six months jail. "They have no right to silence, and cannot refuse to attend. Afterwards, they are not allowed speak to anyone about what was discussed in the interrogation - not even to their families", he said.

The ABCC powers are sweeping - workers and their representatives can be fined and jailed; union meetings can be secretly recorded; their choice of legal representation can be denied.

"The ABCC is the last vestiges of Howard's unfair IR laws. No other workers, apart from workers in the construction industry, are faced with this sort of heavy-handed and undemocratic assault on their human rights", said Dave Noonan.

"The ABCC was set up to benefit Howard's mates in the construction industry. Now the big end of town is pushing to keep the ABCC, in a desperate attempt to keep their massive profits and intimidate workers from speaking up about safety and their rights on site", Mr Noonan said.

"We're launching the Rights on Site campaign now to highlight the profoundly undemocratic powers of the ABCC. We find it amazing that the Rudd Labor Government, elected to restore Australian's rights at work, should care so little about the rights of the 900,000 construction workers in this country", said Dave Noonan.

The new 'Rights on Site' advertisement began screening nationally from yesterday. More information about construction workers rights can be found at:

http://www.rightsonsite.org.au/

Facing jail for taking a stand

He is listed for an appearance in Court on September 12.

"The ABCC are the biggest bullies I've ever dealt with", Noel says. "The laws they have at their disposal have no place in a democratic society like Australia.

"They frighten people, they threaten people by forcing them to attend these interrogations where workers are not entitled to choose their own legal representative and they are forbidden to talk to anyone about what took place in these interrogations. These laws belong in a totalitarian state, not modern Australia", says Noel Washington.

For further information

WWW:	http://www.rightsonsite.org.au/

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