Workers protest building industry practices

About 2,000 building workers have rallied in Brisbane's CBD demanding changes to the way the industry is run.

They also want better safety.

Workers carrying a coffin lead the march to the Prime Minister's Brisbane office.

There was another death at a Brisbane construction site yesterday when a concrete beam fell on scaffolding in Brisbane's south.

It is the 18th death in Queensland this year.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) state secretary Michael Ravbar says workers are frustrated.

"Safety's become a major problem in our industry and a couple of weeks ago we lost two in a row in one week and they've just had enough," he said.

"The union says the Australian Building and Construction Commission is treating workers unfairly and needs to be abolished.

Similar rallies are being held in Sydney and Melbourne.

Wage dispute: NSW teachers continue fight

Thousands of state school and TAFE teachers across New South Wales have walked off the job for two hours to protest against the State Government's latest pay offer.

The teachers will stop work for two hours from 9:00am (AEDT).

The action is part of the NSW Teachers Federation's seven-month campaign to improve the State Government's pay offer.

The federation's acting president, Bob Lipscombe, says he understands the frustration of parents over the disruption.

"Teachers are very reluctant to take industrial action. We'd hoped to avoid industrial action around these matters," he said.

Mr Lipscombe says there may be more industrial action in future.

"We're hopeful that when the Government sees the feelings of teachers in such an obvious way, as they will this morning, that they'll commence negotiations in good faith that will lead to a settlement around these issues," he said.

"But unfortunately if the Government is not prepared to reach some accommodation around these matters, then certainly consideration will need to be given to that in the future."

The Education Department says 90 per cent of schools will remain open, but parents should check directly with their children's school if unsure.

The department's director-general, Michael Coutts-Trotter, says he is disappointed teachers are pushing ahead with the action.

Trades Hall concerns over IR reform

The Victorian Trades Hall Council is concerned the Federal Government is tailoring its industrial relations policies to the needs of the businesses at the expense of workers.

The Council's Secretary, Brian Boyd, has accused the Government of bending over backwards to help businesses maintain profit margins.

He says the Government is not standing up for workers rights and Work Choice negotiations have turned into a farce.

"Because the employers themselves aren't taking the industrial relations changes that were voted on in the last elections seriously," he said.

"I am really worried that the employers are really pushing back against the Government and we will end up with a half baked IR system that will not satisfy anyone, especially working people."

He said the process of industrial reform reform is being treated as a joke.

"Its taking far too long and a lot of workers are suffering and it seems that they are bending over backwards to assist employers in how they make their profits but not looking after freeing up the labor rights of ordinary workers."

Related:

Builders to walk off in Qld protest
CFMEU State Secretary Michael Ravbar says many builders feel Kevin Rudd has broken his pre-election promise to get rid of the laws.

Builders to walk off in Qld protest

More than 2,000 construction workers are expected to walk off Queensland job sites this morning to protest against workplace laws.

Workers will attend combined union rallies in Brisbane, Townsville and the Gold Coast to call for the former federal government's industrial legislation to be quashed.

CFMEU State Secretary Michael Ravbar says many builders feel Kevin Rudd has broken his pre-election promise to get rid of the laws.

"A lot of people voted for Rudd in the election. I mean we've got an industry which is the forth biggest employer over 900,000 construction workers around the country and they're just sick and tired of having different rights," he said.

"They just want a bit of fairness and a bit of equity back and they want to have the same rights as any other worker in this country.

"And unfortunately Rudd has failed to deliver on that."

Mr Ravbar says the laws are draconian and undemocratic.

"You don't have the right to take strike action and if you do you've got potential fines of $28,000 for individuals, $110,000 for unions. We have special laws that if you do things you don't have the right to silence," he said.

"Basically construction workers' civil rights are taken away from them."

Govt to change work-visa loophole

The federal government is moving to close a loophole that allows companies to employ short-term foreign guest workers for as little at $4.20 an hour.

Regulations will be introduced to change work-visa rules ensuring the workers are paid fair wages, Immigration Minister Chris Evans says.

The move follows an investigation by the Workplace Ombudsman which found 16 guest workers on an offshore gas project were performing 12-hour shifts on a two-months-on-one-month-off roster, and earning between $4 and $10 an hour.

"We have subsequently got the decision from the Workplace Ombudsman so we are going to change our regulations to try and make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again," Senator Evans said.

The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) had alleged Filipino construction workers laying a gas pipeline on the Angel gas project, off the WA coast, were being paid as little as $4.20 an hour.

"My members, Australian workers on that job, were earning upwards of a round $140,000 per annum," AWU secretary Paul Howes said.

"These Filipino workers were earning less than a 16-year-old who works for McDonald's and that's a disgrace.

"These workers should get every single dollar that they would have earned if they had been Australian workers working on the same project."

The workers were working under section 456 short-stay visas for a US-based labour hire company.

Once the pipeline touched the sea bottom, the workers should have gone onto section 457 visas which require them to be paid award wages.

Senator Evans says new regulations will require employers to pay proper wages under the section 456 visas.

"It is to pick up what seems to have been a loophole that has been exploited in this case and maybe in others."

Main Roads workers stage 24-hour strike

The Queensland Public Sector Union (QPSU) says Main Roads Department staff across the state have launched their most significant industrial action in 20 years.

QPSU spokesman Alex Scott says about 1,000 Main Roads Department workers walked off the job at midnight AEST for 24 hours.

"This Government is going to see significant and extended industrial action for the coming months unless they wake up to themselves and actually make an offer that means that the real wages are maintained over the next couple of years in a high inflation environment," he said.

"The Reserve Bank understands this, the Federal Government understands it - inflation is high - 3.25 [per cent] won't fix it.

"The State Government is trying to force public sector workers in Main Roads in QBuild, in hospitals and in schools across the board to try and cut their wages by only offering 3.25 per cent, when inflation is running at 5 per cent."

More than 100 workers in Cairns in the state's far north have joined the strike.

QPSU far northern spokesman Kevin O'Sullivan says the action is a "reality check" for the Government.

"This is unfortunate that the Government wants to basically to cut wages and no one can afford to do that in the present economic climate," he said.

"So the Government and the Minister involved - Warren Pitt [Main Roads Minister] are going to have to have a reality check.

"This is the strongest strident our members have taken, so they're sending out the message they're very very serious about getting a decent pay."

The QPSU says there will be significant industrial action in the coming months if the Queensland Government does not increase its wage offer.

The State Government says the strike is regrettable and it will continue to negotiate with the QPSU.

The Government says contingency plans are in place to ensure any disruption to the public is kept to a minimum.