Vic: VicRoads worker accuses union members of violent attack

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2009
Vic: VicRoads worker accuses union members of violent attack

By Greg Roberts

MELBOURNE, April 24 AAP - Union bullies allegedly have attacked a VicRoads supervisor's
suburban home in a spiteful industrial dispute.

It is alleged union members slashed the man's car tyres, cut off his electricity, sawed
through a water valve and threw a brick through a window with a note attached.

The attack allegedly occurred in Sunbury on Thursday afternoon and is the latest incident
in a dispute in which five union representatives have already been charged with conduct
endangering life.

The note was read out on Fairfax Radio on Friday and allegedly included the words:
"... stop with the scabs, we know what you do, we will win this, we always do".

VicRoads spokeswoman Mary Fall confirmed there was an incident involving an employee
that had been referred to police.

Police media confirmed the incident had been referred to them.

It is believed the registration number of a car at the scene was recorded.

Construction giant John Holland, which has been contracted to undertake strengthening
work on Melbourne's West Gate Bridge, is involved in a dispute with the Construction,
Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union
(AMWU) over pay and conditions.

John Holland sacked 39 union members in December when they refused to accept an offer
below the pay and penalty rate levels of a mixed metals agreement, which the unions say
the workers should be offered.

Since then, CFMEU and AMWU members have picketed the West Gate Bridge, action which
John Holland is arguing is illegal in the Federal Court and has involved a police presence.

John Holland has accused the unions of making violent threats to the company's contract
workers including endangering the lives of employees who were chased in cars off the bridge.

"We have withdrawn from talks because they are not prepared to move on any of their
claims," John Holland human resources manager Stephen Sasse told Fairfax Radio.

"Some of the claims are for us commercially impossible with the issues of the day.

"We also don't want to expose our staff and supervision to people who may be violent
or are found to have made threats to them or their family."

Both the CFMEU state secretary Bill Oliver and AMWU state secretary Steve Dargavel
told AAP on Friday they did not condone criminal behaviour or violence but had not been
able to substantiate the alleged incident in Sunbury.

"We understand the frustrations of our members who have been out of work for seven
weeks but have kids and mortgages," Mr Oliver told AAP.

Sunbury police Sergeant Andrew Hunting also said he knew who the alleged victim was
but there was no record of him making a formal complaint to police, despite what police
media had told AAP.

A community day has been organised by the Western Suburbs Community and Unions Coalition
on Sunday at the site to support the sacked workers.

AAP gr/wf/cdh

KEYWORD: WEST GATE

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