BY TIM GOODEN
GEELONG — Victorian building unions, lead by the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, walked off the job for 24 hours on March 1 to kick off a campaign to win a better long service leave scheme.
Only 23% of construction workers have been able to access their entitlements since the scheme was put in place in 1977. The original long service leave scheme was won after a long struggle, which included a week-long strike in 1973, but has not been updated since.
Workers have to wait 15 years before they can get leave and if they depart the industry they lose accrued entitlements. Many employers also do not register workers in the scheme.
The long service scheme fund has accumulated $383,373,000. Employers have not contributed to the scheme for more than 10 years but still benefit from the funds being invested.
The CFMEU has put forward three demands: 13 weeks long service leave on full pay after 10 years; pro-rata leave after seven years; and payment of accumulated entitlements in the event of death, disability or retirement.
The Master Builders Association has opposed any improvements to the scheme.