Source : the age
Migrant workers have been living illegally in “dangerous and disgusting conditions” within a major development in Burwood, the CFMEU has alleged.
Photographs and videos have revealed bedding, suitcases, clothes racks and even a washing machine on the building site, while a construction worker, who spoke anonymously to protect his employment, alleged the labourers have been living there “for months”.
Advertisements for the off-the-plan, 40-storey Victoria Place development spruik “luxury living”, with each apartment featuring open-plan interiors, high-quality finishes and an “elegant and relaxed environment that is perfect for modern living”.
The CFMEU reported its concerns that labourers were living in the incomplete development to the regulator SafeWork on Thursday.
“I am writing to inform you of a significant violation that occurred this morning at the TQM project, 28 Victoria [St], Burwood,” the email stated.
“On arrival at the site, it was very obvious … that Fijian migrant workers who are working on the site in dangerous and disgusting conditions are also living on the site. Today, my officials went into what has to be the worst project in Sydney, given that people are living in it.”
The construction worker said he had seen mattresses on the floors with blankets and pillows, something he had never previously seen on a construction site.
A video of the CFMEU’s walk-through of the Victoria Street site on Thursday morning reveals the union’s delegate saying they will investigate after showing TQM’s site manager a collection of belongings in one part of the project.
“You’ve got bedding, you’ve got people washing their laundry, you’ve got people sleeping on site,” the CFMEU official tells the site manager.
After the site manager denies anyone is sleeping on site, the CFMEU official replies: “Why are people doing their laundry then? … I’ve been here 30 years. No one brings their underpants on site and washes them at work.”
TQM, the builder of the 28 Victoria Street site, “unequivocally denied” the suggestion it had allowed people to reside on the site, saying the company found “no evidence to support these allegations”.
“TQM was not aware of any person residing within the development, and the company has no evidence that the site was ever used for residential accommodation,” a company spokesman said.
“Construction sites frequently contain a wide range of materials, tools, personal belongings, and other items stored as part of normal operations, so the items in question would not inherently signal unauthorised occupancy.”
Photos of a mattress and trolley filled with belongings were from a “neighbouring property”, and did not “infer any person was living there”, the spokesman said.
A SafeWork NSW spokeswoman said inspectors issued improvement notices for the “rectification of a number of issues” after visiting TQM’s construction site on Friday.
“During the visit, the inspector confirmed all workers on site held valid construction induction white cards,” she said.
“SafeWork NSW is continuing to monitor the company’s progress in taking the required compliance actions. No further comment is available at this time.”
SafeWork did not respond directly to questions about the allegations labourers were sleeping on the site. Residency status is beyond the regulator’s scope.
A spokeswoman for Work Health and Safety Minister Sophie Cotsis called for the allegations of living conditions to be reported to the relevant authorities.
“Every worker deserves a safe workplace, and every worker in Australia deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
“If workers are living in unsafe conditions, or if there are concerns that workers’ rights are being undermined, those matters should be reported immediately.”
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Max Maddison is a state political reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.
