MELBOURNE: The barricades went up for some weeks in Dudley Street, West Melbourne, when two construction workers, Mark Thompson and Chris Kerraris, were summarily dismissed for defending workers' safety. One of the workers has gained widespread fame in his role as 'Chicken Man', the bane of Premier Kennett's life over his attacks on Workcover entitlements. Ironically, the dispute was sparked when the employer concerned, Western Byways, took advantage of the Kennett Government's 'liberalisation' of occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations to impose sub-standard conditions on the site.

The dispute was very bitter, with the management employing thugs and standover men against the strikers. Despite this, the dispute ended in a partial victory for the workers. One of the sacked men was re-instated and both have received monetary compensation.

Three weeks prior to the sackings, union officials and Workcover authorities requested that an asbestos risk assessment report be prepared, as is common practice. Usually, this process takes a maximum of 36 hours, yet three weeks after the request, the employer insisted that they had had insufficient time to comply. It seems that things were so hectic that they didn't have time to ensure that the lunchrooms and toilets were up to scratch nor to run compulsory safety induction training. Nor was there time to provide drinking water on site! Attempts to cover up serious breaches of safety were standard fare for this boss and no worker could park too close, lest their car be wiped out by falling concrete slabs.

When the workers demanded improvements, the boss sacked them without regard to dispute procedures. Although the workers were initially reinstated, management terminated their employment after consulting the Master Builders' Association. MBA involvement is significant because over the last couple of years, activists with OHS training have found themselves on a blacklist, unable to work in the industry.

It was only by chance that Thompson and Kerraris were taken on, as Western Byways only very recently become MBA members. The trend now is for many builders to employ unskilled and untrained labour on sites to represent the safety of other employees. As expected, this practice has resulted in a significant increase in the number of injuries and deaths in the construction industry.

The CFMEU wants to send a strong message to the MBA and employers that the blacklists will be smashed. Sub-standard health and safety conditions will be vigorously defended, even if it means a long term struggle. These workers will accept nothing short of the same standards that generations of workers fought for with their lives. Unity of the workers' movement will advance health and safety standards everywhere.