Breakdown: Tim Gooden outside the sewage treatment plant project site.
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
SITE agreement negotiations on work to build a $94 million sewage treatment plant at North Shore are being dragged through the sewer, according to unions.
The unions claimed a breakthrough this week in their protest against contractor John Holland’s alleged blacklisting of some Geelong workers from the site.
Geelong Trades and Labour Council secretary Tim Gooden said a dawn protest on Wednesday shut the gates to the Barwon Water project.
John Holland then agreed to re-open talks this Friday after the company “pulled the pin” last Monday, Mr Gooden said.
He blamed the breakdown on John Holland undercutting industry-standard site agreements.
“We held the protest to force John Holland back to the negotiating table. They have tried to devolve industrial responsibility to their five major labour hire contractors but we want to talk to John Holland directly.
“John Holland wants to have their cake and eat it too. They claim they have no industrial responsibility but still want to pull the strings.”
Protracted negotiations were close to finalisation when the latest stoush erupted after unions discovered John Holland was blacklisting the Geelong workers.
“Not all contractors on the job are from the local area. Sources from inside the project indicated that John Holland intends to vet all workers coming onto the job,” Mr Gooden said.
“John Holland has already rejected some Geelong workers because of their union membership status.
“We want this project to go ahead with more local content so the people of Geelong benefit economically as well.
“We are horrified to discover John Holland still has a blacklist in this day and age and we will not consider the negotiations to be in good faith until John Holland and Barwon Water throw their blacklist of Geelong workers in the bin and come to the bargaining table with clean hands.”
Mr Gooden said 12 workers on site for the earthworks stage of construction were on a base rate of $22 an hour with a $3 site allowance, which undercut the standard industry agreements by almost a third.
Federal Government has committed $20 million to the project, Victoria $9 million, Shell $47.5 million and Barwon Water $17.5 million.
The plant, scheduled for completion late next year, will treat sewage and trade waste from Geelong’s northern suburbs to produce Class A recycled water for Shell Geelong Refinery and nearby public sports grounds.
John Holland had not returned the Independent’s call for comment when the paper went to press.
