Ark's story

Critical Senate vote - help change the law

The Senate will soon vote on the Bill to replace the ABCC with a new Building Industry Inspectorate.

A Senate majority report recommended that the Bill is passed, with some amendments. The coercive powers in the construction industry could stay, and a construction worker like Ark Tribe could still face jail for standing up for his rights on site.

Our Independent Senators could change that, but they are coming under heavy pressure from big business and property developers to keep the coercive powers in the construction industry.

Over ten thousand Rights on Site supporters have reminded politicians and big business that there should be one set of laws for all Australian workers.

The laws the senate passes will determine whether our politicians support one law for all Australian workers, and could bring an end to construction workers like Ark Tribe being singled out for harsher penalties in their workplace.

Now we need you to ask Senator Fielding and Senator Xenophon to take a stand for rights on site before they vote on the new laws.

Find out more here

The Bill the Senators will vote on:

Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2009

Amends the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005 to: abolish the Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner and create the Office of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate; remove existing building industry specific laws; enable the Inspectorate to compulsorily obtain information or documents relevant to an investigation from certain persons; provide for safeguards in relation to the Inspectorate’s powers to obtain information and documents (including a five year sunset provision); and create the office of the Independent Assessor.

Reps: Intro. 17/6/09; Passed 13/8/09

Senate: Intro. 17/8/09; 2nd reading adjourned 17/8/09

SBC report 9/09 (tabled and adopted 18/6/09): Provisions of bill referred to Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee; report tabled 10/9/09

Ask Senator Fielding and Senator Xenophon to take a stand for rights on site

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I am writing to urge you to stand alongside Australian construction workers and their families by supporting the abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and its coercive powers.

As the Senate looks at new laws for the building and construction industry I urge you to consider 6 reasons why the ABCC and the laws that underpin it should be scrapped.

1. All Australian workers should have access to the same basic rights.
Construction workers have fewer rights than any other group of Australian workers. They can be fined up to $22,000 for failing to attend secret ABCC interrogations or jailed for up to six months for refusing to answer questions about union meetings.

2. The ABCC and the bad laws that underpin it have nothing to do with criminal behaviour.
The coercive powers only make it harder for workers to take action over health and safety issues. Right now, a South Australian construction worker named Ark Tribe faces six months in jail for allegedly refusing to attend a secret interrogation by the ABCC in 2008.

3. Big developers are the only ones who benefit from these laws.
Not one employer has ever been prosecuted for ripping off workers under the ABCC.

4. The ABCC and its powers do not help build construction industry jobs.
Access Economic in a recent report commissioned by the CFMEU predicts that up to 10,000 jobs and up to 6,000 apprenticeships could be slashed across the construction sector by 2012.

5. The ABCC and its powers do not help the economy.
There is no evidence that the ABCC and its coercive powers help productivity in the industry. Independent surveys prove that Australia's construction industry was at, or close to world's best practice prior to these laws.

6. Australia must be a world leader on workers rights.
But the existence of ABCC and its coercive powers means that Australia is in breach of International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. The ILO has condemned the laws on no less than six occasions.

The new building and construction laws must treat construction workers the same as all other workers and bring an end the use of coercive powers in industrial relations.

Regards,