National building war begins here today

Jessica Benton
Unions plan a mass rally outside Geelong’s court today as the start of a national campaign against Australia’s building industry watchdog, according to the city’s Trades Hall leader.
Tim Gooden said the rally would support Geelong Victorian Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union vice-president Noel Washington as he faced six months jail for refusing to supply information to Australian Building and Construction Commission.
The ABCC wanted to question him about an out-of-work-hours union meeting.
Mr Gooden said more than 200 union representatives would rally outside the court before marching on the Yarra Street office of federal Member for Corio Richard Marles.
The rally would then return to the court to hear the statement of Mr Washington’s legal team.
Mr Gooden said industrial action against the ABCC would begin after today’s hearing.
“We’re expecting a national and state-wide stop-work situation,” he said.
“We’re marching to Mr Marles’ office and have flags, speeches and chants ready.
“We want to let the government know that these laws are on their books and we expect them to do something about it. It’s not going to go away until they fix it.
“We just want to be treated like every other worker and these laws don’t do that – they criminalise normal behaviour.”
Mr Gooden said the Howard Government set up the ABCC to “destroy the effectiveness” of building industry unions.
“These unions have led the way in setting benchmark wages and standards of health and safety that have benefited all working Australians,” he said.
“The ABCC operates like a police force with extensive coercive powers and secret investigations. There’s no right to silence – refusing to attend hearings or answer questions can lead to a six-month jail sentence.
“We’re asking for nothing more than what employers already have: the right to meet our members and representatives before, during and after work and the right to defend our working conditions.”
However, the Victorian boss of Australia’s peak building and construction industry body accused unions of orchestrating a scare campaign for early abolition of the ABCC.
Master Builders Association’s Brian Welch said unions were slandering the ABCC ahead of the Rudd Government’s plan to replace the commission in 2010.
“It’s all part of the theatre and a publicity campaign,” he said.
“Taking strike action means people are going to pay the price and that’s their call.
“I don’t think it’ll be effective or achieve anything.”
Mr Welch said Master Builders Association “firmly” backed the ABCC for bringing law and order to the industry.
He defended its powers to coerce people for information as “getting to the truth”.
“I think it’s ridiculous to strip the ABCC of its powers,” Mr Welch said.