NSW: State government project hit again over training levy

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2000
NSW: State government project hit again over training levy

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - More than 400 building workers walked off the job at the New South
Wales government's Conservatorium of Music site in Sydney today over a training levy dispute.

The vote came in support of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union's (CFMEU)
push for the state government to impose a training levy on developers.

Workers voted unanimously to stop work immediately today and for another 24-hour stoppage
after Christmas if their demands were not met.

The move came as the union vowed to pursue rolling stoppages at state government building
sites across Sydney in support of the levy.

Last week builders at Kogarah police station and Oatley TAFE redevelopments in Sydney's
south walked off the job for 24 hours and last month 100 building workers at St Vincent's
Hospital site at Darlinghurst walked off the job in pursuit of the levy.

CFMEU state secretary Andrew Ferguson said by failing to impose the levy on new developments,
the state government had failed to act in the interests of young workers.

"This campaign by building workers will continue until the state Labor government deals
with this issue," he said.

"It's appalling that workers are having to forgo pay in the lead-up to Christmas to
campaign to look after the training needs of an industry."

Mr Ferguson said under the scheme, developers would have to pay a levy for training
before receiving approval to build.

The money would then be used by the government to subsidise builders who employed apprentices.

Mr Ferguson said NSW was the only state without the training levy and that strike action
by builders was the only way to focus government attention on the issue.

"Since the Olympics construction boom ended, scores of apprentices have been laid off,"

Mr Ferguson said.

Mr Ferguson said the state government had been sitting on the issue for three years,
despite overwhelming support from unions and building groups for such a levy.

The strike is a major blow to the Conservatorium project which has been plagued by
budget blowouts and deadline extensions since the government announced its planned overhaul
in 1996.

The latest cost estimate, revealed in a NSW auditor-general's report released today,
was around $145 million - more than double the original estimate of $69 million.

The majority of the added expense was attributed to the discovery and recovery of heritage
artefacts at the site which forced the redesign of parts of the project.

The report also revealed union bans at the site had added $4.8 million to the cost
of the project.

AAP nd/ls/sb/gmw/de

KEYWORD: BUILDERS (CARRIED EARLIER)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.