1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Now the Electrical Trade Union is demanding an apology from 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: Charles Darwin University after Vice Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman blamed 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: workers for delays with the CBD campus being complete and 4 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: handed over to the UNI. 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 2: So in an email to CDU. 6 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: Staff seen by MIX, Professor Bowman said there has been 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: an unfortunate delay to the completion, pointing to industrial action 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: over enterprise bargaining negotiations slowing down electrical contractors working on site. 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: The email goes on to say that the campus opening, 10 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: which was scheduled for July this year, has been postponed 11 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: until later. 12 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 2: In the year. 13 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: Now, joining me on the line to tell us a 14 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: little bit more about the situation is the Electrical Trade 15 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,639 Speaker 1: Union organizer Dave Hayes known as Strabes. 16 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Strawbs. 17 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 3: Good morning, Cody and Melissa. 18 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: Has industrial action impacted the completion of the CDU campus. 19 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 3: Absolutely not, Katie. Our members are currently bargaining for an 20 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 3: enterprise agreement and have been been so for about twelve months. 21 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 3: We have an approval to take industrial action granted by 22 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 3: the Fairwell Commission in about mid jan this year, and 23 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 3: we've had one one hour stoppage on the project and 24 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 3: some work bands for a total of two weeks. Now 25 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 3: our members haven't taken it, had taken any action for 26 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 3: the past two weeks. So where this has come from, 27 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 3: I'm perplexed. 28 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 1: I guess some people listening are going to go, well, 29 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: a work band for two weeks, surely that would have 30 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: delayed things. 31 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 3: Look, Katie, now members had some strategic bands put in 32 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 3: place on the job, so on one day, for example, 33 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 3: they might not use a scissor lift, or on another 34 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 3: day they might not use batchel drills or something like that. 35 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 3: So there'd be other works that could be undertaken in 36 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 3: all that time. It would cause a bit of frustration 37 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 3: to their employer. And that's the idea of industrial action 38 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 3: and one hour stop. So if we can put that 39 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 3: in a perspective in a project that's been being built 40 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 3: for over two years, how that can affect the opening 41 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 3: date or the proposed opening date is beyond me. 42 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: So I mean to be clear here, you feel as 43 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:19,559 Speaker 1: though the CDU Vice Chancellor is being dishonest. 44 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 3: Well, I think that the Vice Chancellor has been misinformed 45 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 3: and misguided in the information that's come to him. He 46 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 3: probably doesn't have with respect and understanding in relation to 47 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 3: how protected industrial action works, and to put all the 48 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 3: pieces together and blame our electrical contractors for delaying this 49 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 3: project due to the minor industrial actions that have taken 50 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 3: place in the one one hour stoppage. How you can 51 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 3: put that into the big picture of over two years 52 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 3: on a project a nine story building is beyond me. 53 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 3: So we're obviously calling for an apology from the Vice 54 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 3: Chancellor to our members and the workers that job who 55 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 3: are working hard, and as far as I know, until 56 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 3: the Vice Chancellor's announcement, they had been working towards the 57 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 3: July finishing date on the project. 58 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: So you don't feel like do you feel as though 59 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: or from what you are being told by those workers, 60 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 1: there's not going to be a delay. 61 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 3: Well, they were the understanding that they are working towards 62 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 3: the July opening date. Whether that is achievable or not, 63 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 3: that's up to the holicoss and the builder themselves where 64 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 3: they're going to get all that work done. But until 65 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,839 Speaker 3: this media release came out, the workers on the job 66 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 3: were working towards. 67 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: That date, all right, And so I mean, just to 68 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: make it really clear, I guess Storbes from the union's perspective, 69 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: you feel as though the industrial action that has been 70 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: taken has not delayed the project in any way. 71 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 3: Absolutely not, Katie. The project's been built since November. Where 72 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 3: about electricians on that job since November twenty twenty one, 73 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 3: that's over two years go. Half the trade is in 74 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 3: Dawn have worked on that project. That's been going so long. 75 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 3: So to put this down to our small amount of 76 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 3: action over a couple of weeks with one one hour 77 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 3: stoppage delaying the opening of this project is a pretty 78 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 3: long boat to draw and I think the Vice Chancellor 79 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 3: has been misguided and I think he should come out 80 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 3: and retract his comments and have a real look at 81 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,799 Speaker 3: why the project has been delayed. There's constant design changes. 82 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 3: The guys are getting new sets of drawings every other day, 83 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 3: you know, to move things around. So it's just not 84 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 3: the electrical workers. The access on the job. You've got 85 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 3: two lifts running up and down the building with between 86 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 3: one hundred and one hundred and fifty people trying to 87 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 3: get up and down there. There's a lot of other 88 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 3: reasons why this project is getting delayed and to blame 89 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 3: it on these workers his way out of line in 90 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 3: our opinion. 91 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 2: So where too from here. 92 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: I mean, like, are the workers angry enough about this 93 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: that they're going to take further industrial action or where 94 00:04:58,400 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: to from here? 95 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 3: Look, Katie, our industrial action, as I said, we haven't 96 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 3: taken any industrial action for a couple of weeks. We 97 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 3: are in conversations with the electrical contractor on trying to 98 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 3: reach agreement over the enterprise bargaining in the enterprise bar 99 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 3: owning process that they're undertaking. So we'll continue with those 100 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 3: discussions with the contractor and where that ends up is 101 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 3: where it'll end up. People can't just take action just 102 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 3: because they're angry at the Vice Chancellor. That's against the law. 103 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 3: But I think the Vice Chancellor should come out and 104 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 3: smooth smooth things, Dan, come out and speak to the 105 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 3: workforce on the job and have a good look around 106 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 3: the job of what's actually happening out there. 107 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: Well, look, we'll see whether we can get in contact 108 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: with the Vice Chancellor and have him on the show 109 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: at some point. Dave Hayes, I really appreciate you having 110 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: a chat with us this morning. 111 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: Thank you for your time. 112 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 3: Thanks Katie, and we're happy to speak to the vice Chancellor. 113 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 3: He should have given us a call before making a 114 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 3: statement in 115 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 2: Our opinion, Dave, thanks so much for having a chat 116 00:05:58,760 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 2: with us this morning.