The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) is threatening industrial action at Queensland’s Suncorp Metway redevelopment site, which could put the project behind schedule.
The stadium, which will host several rugby union World Cup games at the end of 2003, is due to reopen on June 1 for a rugby league clash between Brisbane Broncos and the Newcastle Knights.
However the union’s threat to take industrial action over a new enterprise bargaining agreement could jeopardise the project completion date.
Existing industry agreements ended on December 31 2002 and a new enterprise agreement has not yet been reached between the union and the stadium’s joint venture developers Watpac and Multiplex.
Despite the threat of industrial action Queensland Sports Minister Terry Mackenroth is confident that the project will finish on time.
Mackenroth said the government had been aware since last year that unions were going to campaign on new industry agreements. He added that the contractor had factored this into the project timeline.
CFMEU state president Wally Trohear said that a special project agreement option had been offered to Watpac and Multiplex but had been turned down.
Trohear accused the developers of deliberately failing to reach an agreement with unions to cover-up for being behind on the stadium job.
Source: AAP