Construction worker feared ‘pauper’s grave’
A construction worker who claimed his boss hadn’t paid any money into his superannuation account for two years feared his family would be left destitute if he died.
Sunny Manual, who now works as a project manager, said he found out early this year a previous employer hadn’t paid his super since 2009.
“If I’d have been killed accidentally on site I would have been buried in a pauper’s grave and my little girl … would have got nothing,” he said.
“My employer had put it on my pay slip every week so I was none the wiser.”
Mr Manual was among thousands of outraged construction workers who rallied in Brisbane’s CBD this morning protesting against sham contracting.
“Workers have had a gut full of working on multi-million dollar projects like the Gold Coast hospital worth over a billion dollars and the workers down there are getting robbed blind,” one protester said.
“We want the government to step in and say to these builders, we’re paying you good money to do this job, we want the best products, we want the best workers. Pay the premium, simple as that.
Later today the Bligh government announced an inquiry into contracting arrangements which is expected to be completed by September this year.
Industrial relations minister Cameron Dick issued a media release saying there would be future reforms to protect workers and ensure a “level playing field”.