Royal commission also hears from construction company employee who says workers were ‘fearful’ of union
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A major contractor on a troubled Victorian rail project shut down by union officials was warned that the minister’s office felt it would not “have any more work” in the state if it did not resolve the industrial dispute, a royal commission has heard.
The royal commission into the integrity of major public and civil infrastructure construction projects in Victoria heard from a Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (Vida) official for the first time on Friday.
Vida was strongly criticised by counsel assisting the commission, Chris Young KC, on Thursday for its failure to disclose relevant evidence in a timely manner to the investigation.
The commission’s November public hearings, which are set to run until 20 November, are focusing on a 2022 level crossing removal project at Gap Road in Sunbury.
The commission previously heard that Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) officials shut down the site because of purported safety concerns, only for them to allow it to continue after two of their own health and safety representatives were appointed, and the project changed its traffic and labour hire companies to CFMEU-aligned firms.
