ABCC discriminatory

Date: 13 October 2008

The release of the discussion paper, from Honourable Murray Wilcox QC, on the future of the Australian Building Construction Commission (ABCC) shatters the case made by big business and property developers for the retention of the ABCC, said Dave Noonan, National Secretary, CFMEU Construction & General Division.

"The employers' case for the retention of the ABCC and its repressive powers rested on two pillars: the Cole Commission and an economic analysis from Econtech on the productivity of the construction industry.

"Today these two illusions have been shattered by the Honourable Murray Wilcox," said Dave Noonan.

Justice Wilcox notes that not one single prosecution flowed from the Cole commission. The economic argument put forward on productivity in the construction industry, to justify the existence of the ABCC, was similarly dismissed.

"In two short pages on building industry productivity, the Honourable Murray Wilcox demolishes the flawed arguments of the Econtech report, finding serious errors in the reports calculations and assumptions."

The report also contains a number of comments on the lack of independence of the ABCC under the current laws.

"The report makes it clear that those supporting these laws argue in favour of discrimination of one group of Australians, namely construction workers.

"We finally see an admission in black and white that the big builders and developers openly accept the laws are discriminatory, 'most employers accept that Chapter 5 of the Act is discriminatory'.

"Discrimination against one section of the community can never be justified," said Dave Noonan.

Australia's construction workers will continue to campaign for rights on site until all workers are treated equally under Australia's workplace laws.

For further information

Contact:	Dave Noonan
Union:	cfmeu
WWW:	http://www.rightsonsite.org.au/

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