Builders still fear unions

[pies4ever]

Builders still fear unions
September 07, 2007

SOME builders still fear militant unions despite policing of sites by the national industry watchdog.

Labour hire company director Chris Mazzotta said six of his contractors recently missed out on work at a Melbourne site because the builder wanted workers from a union-approved firm.

Mr Mazzotta said the builder offered to pay half the wages of workers if they were sourced from the union-friendly firm.

"There are a hell of a lot of builders out there who are intimidated," he said. "The last thing they want is any union intervention."

Mr Mazzotta, director of Troubleshooters Available, spoke yesterday at a seminar on the industry organised by free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs.

Other speakers included John Lloyd, the boss of industry watchdog the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Mr Lloyd said union leaders were reluctant to engage with his organisation, established in 2005.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union national secretary Dave Noonan dismissed the IPA and firms such as Troubleshooters as Right-wing bodies with anti-union agendas.

He said the commission persecuted union officials for doing their jobs.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22376223-2862,00.html

[stui magpie]

Yep, just talk to anyone in the building industry (except for a unionist). The way they abuse the OH&S provisions for thir own ends is particularly dusgusting as it becomes like the boy who cried wolf.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

SOME builders.
Most sites I go to these days the union is a toothless tiger, and that can only be a good thing. The CFMEU are the most militant, corrupt organisation going around. I won't be renewing my membership, because thankfully, these days I don't have to.
The majority of workers I speak to appreciate the fact that they can make that choice. It's supposed to be a bloody free country.

[Alec. J. Hidell]

[Joel]

I just hate it when the unions try to muscle in on small builders, or any trade for that matter.

[nomadjack]

I just hate it when small builders and small business, not to mention big builders and big business muscle in on their workers. But of course that's an acceptable use of market power unlike unions using the power they get from strategic use of collective action.

[stui magpie]

[Culprit]

We have conditions today because of unions; you all seem to forget that you bunch of freeloaders. Hand your 40 hour a week back and work 60 hours and along with what ever penalties you get above your income if you do not like unions.

[stui magpie]

Does the fact that unions have done good things in the past excuse the poor behaviour of some unions now?

[member34258]

Refer back to this thread.
http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?p=569931&highlight=#569931

[stui magpie]

[member34258]

Good and bad in everyone and everything stui, you know that as well as I do.
Kill the unions and we have the conditions now prevalent in China. Let the Unions go overboard and we have no jobs.
Balance required.

[stui magpie]

I'll just about agree with you on that. Balance is most important.

At the end of the day, whether unions are actually essential to that balance going forward or whether responsible government can provide safeguards thru legislation is probably a matter of opinion.

Even if unions in their current form were made extinct, some body representing the interests of the workers (like the ACTU) would still be required to lobby governments and provide the balance to the lobbying of business otherwise we may not end up like China but the pendulum would swing too far toward it.

[Alec. J. Hidell]

[HAL]

My brain uses AIML to format responses to your inputs, but I don't have one for that. If you could have any kind of robot what would it be? What do you really want to ask me? Is the holding of hands a symbolic gesture for humans? Are we still talking about p569931highlight#569931[quote] Now you're deflecting?