IF there is one organisation that is eternally in the sights of conservative governments, it's the construction division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.
While its behaviour can be heavy handed - and with laws framed to make it that way, illegal - it is working in an industry with a death and accident rate that puts the physical safety of its members, as much as their pay and conditions, at the top of its agenda.
In today's Newcastle Herald, investigative reporter Donna Page examines concerns raised by Newcastle union organisers Mark Cross and Brendan Holl, whose files of photos and videos of Hunter and Central Coast building sites reveal a grim reality that is often hidden behind barrier fences or cloth-lined scaffolding.
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On the other side of the fence, employer organisations such as the Master Builders Association and the Housing Industry Association says there is no place in construction for unsafe practices.
The reality is, however, that these organisations are not going to criticise their fee-paying members, at least not in public.
In the middle sits the NSW government regulator, SafeWorkNSW (previously known as WorkCover).
Although SafeWork says it made 200 site "visits" in the region last year, other government sources indicate the regulator's statewide inspection rate has fallen by about two-thirds.
From the union's perspective, the regulator is "asleep at the wheel", and it is pushing again for industrial manslaughter laws as a way of upping the ante with employers.
The companies whose building sites have been targeted by the union say they hold safety in the highest regard.
One director says his company is certified to "international" standard.
Another says his company has received just a single "improvement" notice, and no more serious "prohibition" notices, in relation to his current sites.
Against these assurances, the union's photographs show a litany of shortcomings that do not need a trained eye to identify.
Worker safety is but one aspect of an employer's overall attitude towards the job.
If a building company is prepared to cut corners when it comes to safety, why should anyone trust that company when it comes to quality?
Time will always be money in the building industry but there is no excuse for skimping on safety, whether it's out of cost-cutting zeal or lazy ignorance.
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