Strike threat at Olympic site

By Shane Bentley

SYDNEY -- Members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union at the Olympic site at Homebush Bay have threatened to take industrial action if their concerns over workplace safety are not met.

This follows 10 accidents over the last 10 months which have all had the potential for loss of life. These include a crane tipping over, a gas bottle fire, a worker being pinned by the load of a crane, power lines being hit by a crane and a framework collapsing during a concrete pour.

As part of a CFMEU safety blitz across Sydney, a WorkCover inspection occurred two weeks ago and issued around 40 safety notices.

The CFMEU met last week with the NSW industrial relations minister, Jeff Shaw, who has since promised another 10 WorkCover inspectors in Sydney.

CFMEU state secretary (Construction Division) Andrew Ferguson told Green Left Weekly that the employers, builders and the Olympic Coordination Authority will all be held responsible for health and safety on the site and that the CFMEU will not tolerate any buck passing between the three.

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