There’s a fresh push to ban engineered stone commonly used in kitchen benchtops and linked to an incurable lung disease likened to asbestosis. Engineered stone is cheaper than naturally occurring stone, but silica dust created during the manufacturing process can pose a serious health risk. Diagnosed cases of silicosis have jumped over the last decade,…

One of Australia’s largest unions wants to see non-union members pay them for any future successful negotiations for higher wages and conditions. This is despite union membership falling to an all-time low in 2022. Union membership has been on the decline in Australia for decades, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union—one of the country’s largest—would…

Protests have continued for the third day in the Australian city of Melbourne after the Victorian state government shut down the construction industry for two weeks on Tuesday. The state government cited COVID-19 compliance issues in the construction industry and violent demonstration scenes outside the offices of the CFMEU construction union, which occurred on Monday…

Protests have continued for the third day in the Australian city of Melbourne after the Victorian state government shut down the construction industry for two weeks on Tuesday. The state government cited COVID-19 compliance issues in the construction industry and violent demonstration scenes outside the offices of the CFMEU construction union, which occurred on Monday…

Hundreds of construction workers have called on John Setka, state secretary of the Victorian Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU), to stand down as mandatory vaccination rules take effect across all construction sites from Sept. 23. The move follows a protest held last week where groups of construction workers took their morning tea…

Businesses, unions, and the government have agreed to work together to develop a plan that will encourage workers to get vaccinated without resorting to vaccine mandates. On Wednesday, Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash lead a virtual roundtable discussion with 50 employer groups, union, and government leaders to discuss how to approach and support workplace vaccinations….

Construction has resumed across Greater Sydney for workers living within the eight local government areas (LGAs) of concern, provided they show proof of vaccination for COVID-19. “Construction workers from the affected LGAs will be added to the list of authorised workers allowing them to work on unoccupied construction sites in Greater Sydney if they meet…

Australia’s construction industry contracted for the first time in July after nine months of continuous expansion after harsh lockdown restrictions were implemented in various states around the country. The fall, which was noted by the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) and the Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) construction performance index, fell 6.8 points to 48.7 in…