12 May 2009 Thirty million reasons ABCC must go The Federal Government could make an instant budget saving of $30 million by scrapping the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), CFMEU Acting NSW Secretary Malcolm Tulloch said today. Mr Tulloch said with a record deficit looming, it made no sense to throw money at a body that had overseen the erosion of civil rights and deterioration of safety in the industry. “The Federal Government has made no secret of how tight this budget is going to be, yet it continues to waste $30 million a year on the ABCC,” Mr Tulloch said. “That’s $30 million of taxpayers’ money being spent on an organisation that presided over a 52 per cent increase in deaths in the construction industry in the space of a year.” Mr Tulloch said the $30 million the Federal Government spends on the ABCC would be better used elsewhere. “Surely things such as health and education are higher priorities than attacking the rights of building workers,” Mr Tulloch said. “With the money saved by scrapping the ABCC, the government could pay for an extra 428 nurses or 491 teachers.” Mr Tulloch said the ABCC was also having clear implications for safety in the industry. According to the Australian Safety and Compensation Council there were 50 compensated fatalities in the construction industry in 2006-2007, up from 33 in 2005-2006. “The ABCC likes to talk about productivity, but productivity does not mean anything when it comes at the expense of worker safety,” Mr Tulloch said. “A strong union presence on a worksite means better safety for all concerned. Unfortunately, the ABCC is geared towards discouraging the presence of unions on building and construction sites.” The ABCC was created by the Howard Government in 2005. Under the laws the ABCC enforces, workers must be able to prove they had a reasonable safety concern if they stop work – even if one of their workmates has just been killed – and workers can be compelled to give evidence as to what has happened at union meetings. Penalties include fines of up to $22,000. Anyone who refuses to co-operate fully with the ABCC faces a potential six month jail term.