"Corporation gets away with murder" - CFMEU over killed worker case

A well known fact amongst Australian construction workers is that one of them dies a week in Australia. Think about that. One person will likely die on a construction site this next week. How would anyone feel going to work in such danger?

Yet corporate companies just don't seem to care. It's probably cheaper to save money cutting corners on the construction site than to pay a pittance in fines for the death of one of their workers. As represented in this case of a worker crushed 6 years ago onsight at the hands of their employer.

Think about what the gov is doing to construction workers, and think about what the gov is letting corporate bosses get away with. These workers are literally fighting for their lives, yet the gov see's fit to demonise them as enemies of business.

The fiance of construction worker Tom Takurua has condemned the fine handed down by the court to Thiess for her husband’s death as ‘insulting’. 

Krystle Ross said the verdict handed down yesterday in the Brisbane Magistrates Court – a fine of $120,000 after the company pleaded guilty to causing her husband’s death, was indicative of a failure in the legal system. 

“Thiess have been to court 13 times to try and save their corporate name, appealing time & again in order to have the charges rewritten to lessen the severity of them” she said. 

“The family has been through hell during this ordeal waiting for justice to be done and finally yesterday, they get a $120,000 fine for killing a man. “How is that in any way fair?” 

Mr Takurua was crushed to death when an 18 tonne beam toppled over and fell on him, trapping him underneath. The accident was caused by a disregard of Thiess’s own work practices regarding the rigging, placing and fixing of bridge beams on headstocks. No conviction was recorded against Thiess yesterday. 

Queensland CFMEU Construction Secretary Michael Ravbar said that workers and the union were upset and angry about the finding against the company. “When you consider that the union gets fined more than that for trespass, it’s not hard to conclude that there is one set of laws for workers and another more lenient set of laws for big business,” he said. 

“This finding shows the public that if you’re a multinational company with deep pockets, you can work your way through the system and literally get away with murder.” Mr Ravbar said his thoughts are with Ms Ross and the family.“All workers deserve to go to work and come home at the end of the day. 

Mr Takurua died at the hands of his employers and six years after the event, we can see that justice has not been served.“The laws must be changed so that big business cannot get away with murder.”more