6 minute read
Executive Director’s Report
ExECutIvE DIRECtOR kIRk CONINgHHAM OAM
bewAre tHe eneMy witHin
The lack of attack on public servants in the federal budget was as pleasing as it was unexpected.
Canberra bashing has become part of the deal for these budgets where politicians gleefully take aim at those they believe are easy game.
This year the banks were in the cross hairs while the traditional attack on public servant ‘fat cats’ was reversed. The budget sensibly supported and funded an expanded public service designed to better serve our community and help hold others to account.
Popular politics would have us believe that Canberra gets a thrashing from conservative governments because a one-sided ideological blinker keeps our heads firmly turned to the left. The reality is far more complex. Ours is a caring community, but we’ve never been hostage to dogma. We look after people in need but we also appreciate and celebrate individual endeavour and excellence. We recognise and value the rewards that come with hard work and sacrifice but share those rewards through conscious choice. This reality is sometimes lost on those who are purely motivated by ideology. They believe transgressions that allow bullying and attacks on individuals or sections of our community will be dismissed in ‘solidarity’ with the greater good. Take the current radio attack ads funded by Unions ACT. This is the only community in Australia where tens of thousands of member dollars are invested in an exclusive attack on locals. They started attacking local residential builders, skewing statistics to encourage the belief that our local industry was unsafe and not to be trusted. The claim was that a person a day was injured (365 a year). The reality for our residential builders was closer to a serious injury every two months (6 a year). They’ve since moved on to attacking local apprentices, once again telling porkies to encourage the belief that local apprentices are inferior. Well it’s not. The vast majority (93%) of Master Builders in the Territory are small businesses. Most are mum and dad operations integral to local communities.
And the apprentices being labelled as ‘dodgy’ every morning on radio are hard-working, committed young people who deserve a whole lot better from their community.
The radio campaign comes on top of CFMEU efforts to exclude local construction teams from government work. The most recent example is light rail where a union official bragged to the media of plans to exclude local construction teams from 75% of the job. Keeping local ‘snouts out of the trough’.
Disturbingly the campaign sees serious safety incidents on unioncontrolled sites go largely ignored while any incident remotely
connected to local industry is vigorously pursued. As an example, a nasty cut to a local apprentice’s hand generates a press release, breathless calls to ministers on speed dial, and a full-on radio attack campaign. But what of a far more serious electric shock incident the day before on a union controlled site? No press release. No calls. No campaign.
Such flagrant manipulations add to the depth of cynicism across local industry increasingly eroding the union’s once proud voice on safety. But why? The CFMEU is famous for using safety as an industrial weapon but this is the first time we’ve seen this in a sustained public campaign exclusive to the Territory.
We initially thought this was just ‘pay back’ against local workers who gave harrowing firsthand accounts of militant union thuggery in the Territory at the royal commission.
We now believe it is a long term, heavily funded and orchestrated campaign with a purely commercial objective. Damning the rebellious local construction industry to make way for union compliant teams from across the border.
Canberra bashing has gone from conservative government attacks on public servants to militant union attacks on local apprentices and construction teams.
MBA Group Training Ltd RTO NO. 88163
Get Qualified with MBA Group Training
CERT IV BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION (BUILDING)
Course Overview
MBA Group Training conduct the Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) in evening sessions from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Master Builders Skills Centre in Fyshwick.
The course consists of six modules that must be successfully completed to gain the qualification. This qualification is now one of a range of Certificate IV level qualifications which have become the underpinning requirement for the residential class of builder licence. In the delivery of Certificate IV in Building & Construction (Building) MBA Group Training has combined 17 units of competency into six learning modules which are presented in the evening class format.
On successful completion participants will be issued with the CPC40110 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) qualification, allowing them to apply for the ACT Class C Licence through Access Canberra the licencing body. For further information please consult our website.
HEATH AND SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES REFRESHER
Course Overview
The introduction to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 places a duty on all Persons Conducting Businesses or Undertakings (PCBUs), regardless of size, to develop a consultative arrangement on all matters that directly affect work safety.
Part of this process includes the establishment of Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) and Health and Safety Committees (HSCs). MBA Group Training have been approved by WorkSafe ACT as required under Section 72 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT) to deliver this training.
On successful completion participants will be issued with a Certificate of Attendance. For further information please consult our website.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES
Course Overview
The introduction to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 places a duty on all Persons Conducting Businesses or Undertakings (PCBUs), regardless of size, to develop a consultative arrangement on all matters that directly affect work safety.
Part of this process includes the establishment of Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) and Health and Safety Committees (HSCs).This course provides Health and Safety Representatives, within the building industry, with the required changes and relevant updates to ensure compliance with the Act. MBA Group Training have been approved by WorkSafe ACT as required under Section 72 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT) to deliver this training.
On successful completion participants will be issued with a Certificate of Attendance. For further information please consult our website.
CONTRIBUTE TO WHS HAZARD IDENTIFICATION, RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK CONTROL
Course Overview
This one day course aims to provide participants with the skills and knowledge required to contribute to identifying work health and safety (WHS) hazards; assessing WHS risks; and developing, implementing and evaluating risk controls appropriate to their own job role and work area.
On successful completion participants will be issued with a Statement of Attainment for BSBWHS404 - Contribute to WHS hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control. For further information please consult our website.
MBA Group Training provides ongoing learning opportunities through industry training and education services. Safe work practices within the industry are a priority with the Master Builders and expert advice is available in a range of areas including occupational health and safety requirements, industry codes of practice, education and training.
For more information about training opportunities contact MBA Group Training:
T 02 6175 5900 F 02 6280 9118 E training@mba.org.au
