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Incolink Buses to test for COVID-19

Incolink Buses to test for COVID-19

April 29, 2020

CONSTRUCTION workers across Victoria will get access to COVID-19 tests through Incolink’s mobile buses  in a bid to keep a lid on the virus as the economy rebuilds.

Incolink chief executive Erik Locke said construction was a critical part of the economy as Australia recovered from the pandemic, and up to 1200 tests a month could be done with one bus.

CFMEU VIC/TAS Secretary John Setka stresses the importance of this momentous initiative in supporting the health of workers and the construction industry during this time: 

“CFMEU VIC/TAS will continue to support any initiative that further protects the safety of construction workers whilst our industry continues to help rebuild the country’s economy. We are proud to support Incolink to extend the use of their health buses to test for COVID-19 and I encourage all members to utilise this great tool to ensure their safety” 

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CFMEU VIC/TAS proud to support industry partner Incolink in the establishment of COVID-19 mobile testing bus

CFMEU VIC/TAS proud to support industry partner Incolink in the establishment of COVID-19 mobile testing bus

April 29, 2020

CFMEU’s industry partner and redundancy fund, Incolink is utilising their health buses to test construction workers for COVID-19 under a new initiative supported by the State Government. 


Onsite testing commences tomorrow, Wednesday 29th April at Multiplex’s Melbourne Square, the site which had the second confirmed case of COVID-19 in the industry. 


To welcome the initiative, CFMEU VIC/TAS Secretary John Setka will be one of the first from the construction industry to receive a test via the new mobile health buses, with full details listed below.


Mr. Setka stresses the importance of this momentous initiative in supporting the health of workers and the construction industry during this time: 


“CFMEU VIC/TAS will continue to support any initiative that further protects the safety of construction workers whilst our industry continues to help rebuild the country’s economy. We are proud to support Incolink to extend the use of their health buses to test for COVID-19 and I encourage all members to utilise this great tool to ensure their safety” 


Incolink’s health bus is supported by a range of industry partners in addition to the CFMEU VIC/TAS, including the PPTEU, ETU, Cbus, MBV and CoINVEST. 


Builders and workers can register to have the Incolink Bus visit their workplace at: http://incolink.org.au/covid19-testing/

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Construction jobs to be central to Victoria’s post-coronavirus recovery

Construction jobs to be central to Victoria’s post-coronavirus recovery

April 15, 2020

Construction projects are set be a key component of Victoria’s recovery from the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic, Premier Daniel Andrews says. 

Construction will be key to helping Victoria recover from the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic, premier Daniel Andrews says.

The Premier said on Monday big construction jobs across the state would become more important than ever.

These construction jobs have always been important to me, and now they are more important than ever for every single Victorian,” he said.

We have the biggest construction program in the state’s history, and it will need to get bigger once this crisis is over as we push out of what is a really significant shock to our economy.

Mr Andrews said while the state had suffered “unavoidable damage” to the economy “construction will be a very big part to the recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

 

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Premier Daniel Andrews Confirms Construction is an Essential Industry

Premier Daniel Andrews Confirms Construction is an Essential Industry

April 6, 2020

“You can still be in the construction sector and observe some of the social distancing practices. It’s safe, that’s the medical advice.”

“Beyond that, if you were to shut down some of these jobs, public and private, it’s not just flicking a switch. You’ve got to decommission equipment, you’ve got to do all sorts of things. So it becomes often very difficult to restart those jobs.”

“But ultimately it’s safety that’s driving it.”

“You can operate construction sites, albeit they’re all different. You can have that sector functioning and observe social distancing, increased hygiene. That’s the medical advice.”

“If the advice changed, then the status of that sector would change.”

“We can expect plenty of new projects to come on once we get through this crisis.”

“So give each other space. Wash your hands. Stay home if sick. And let’s keep each other in work and out of trouble.”

*The discussion on construction begins at the 9 minute mark

 

For further information: pr@bossmanmedia.com.au | 03 9421 2886

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison Speaks on the Importance of the Construction Industry

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Speaks on the Importance of the Construction Industry

April 3, 2020

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks on FOX FM detailing the importance of the construction industry especially during COVID-19. 

‘Social distancing can be practised on construction sites whether they are residential or commercial- this keeps the economy going, it keeps people in work, it keeps supporting people through this…this is an important part of the economy’

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CFMEU VIC/TAS Construction & General Secretary John Setka speaks with 3AW’s Tom Elliott

CFMEU VIC/TAS Construction & General Secretary John Setka speaks with 3AW’s Tom Elliott

April 1, 2020


• “Health and safety is our priority…that’s first and foremost”

• “We’re guided by regulations and the Chief Medical Officer’s advice and that’s what we go by”

• “Disinfecting amenities on a regular basis, practising social distancing on site…staggered lunch breaks”

• “It’s actually not business as usual: a lot of things have changed on building sites…staggered starting times to avoid that rush and congregation of large groups of people”

• “As an industry, we got together with all the employer organisations, ourselves, all the construction unions and all the health and safety experts… with recommendations from the Chief Medical Officer on how we combat this”

• “We’d rather go the extra mile and be safer…”

• “We haven’t put the economy or profits ahead of health and safety. If we thought this wasn’t good enough or was dangerous to any of our members, we’d shut it down ourselves.”

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CFMEU National Secretary Dave Noonan Speaks with 2GB’s Alan Jones regarding Construction Industry COVID-19 Safety Measures

CFMEU National Secretary Dave Noonan Speaks with 2GB’s Alan Jones regarding Construction Industry COVID-19 Safety Measures

April 1, 2020

• “The construction industry employs over a million Australians and is a survival engine of the national economy”

• “Safety has to come first in respect to our members”

• “Construction workers, sub-contractors and the head contractors, have a lot of experience in managing risk. The whole industry is about managing risk, including safety”

• “A lot of measures have been put in place in construction sites right around Australia. Social distancing, staggering starting times and meal breaks to minimise the number of people in crib huts or amenities areas”

• “A historic sense of cooperation with the Master Builders Association and the CFMEU… We’ve signed, on this occasion a joint statement about our determination to ensure a safe industry but one, also, that keeps over a million working Australians in work at a time where our economy is absolutely getting smashed”

• “Everyone has got to work together in the industry…We are working under the instructions of the Chief Health Officer, state by state and federally”