Walk-Off Hits Brisbane’s Cross River Rail After Worker Hurt

CFMEU members have walked off one of Queensland’s biggest infrastructure projects after a worker was seriously injured in a 10m fall from scaffolding.

Construction workers on the Cross River Rail decided on Wednesday to down tools until Monday.

On Tuesday afternoon, a 54-year-old worker identified as Nation “Nash” Kouka fell from scaffolding at the Boggo Road station site. He remains in a critical condition in hospital.

A crane was used by emergency services to recover the worker at the site at Dutton Park in Brisbane’s inner south. He underwent surgery after being taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba.

On Wednesday morning, CFMEU members marched through streets in the Brisbane CBD and later decided to stop work until Monday.

The union’s state secretary, Michael Ravbar, said if safety protocols had been properly enforced the incident would not have happened.

Other speakers at the CBD protest outlined previous safety incidents at Cross River Rail construction sites.

▲ A render of the Boggo Road station, part of the Cross River Rail project in Brisbane.

Deputy premier Steven Miles said the circumstances surrounding the incident at the Cross River Rail site would be investigated.

He said the project was “absolutely critical to the future” of the city’s transport network.

“But of course, we want it to be safe as well,” Miles said.

“We don’t want to see anyone injured and so all of those concerns will be thoroughly considered by that investigation.”

There were also claims at the protest that union officials were not being allowed access to worksites.

“Our thoughts, and any support we can offer, are with the family, friends and colleagues of the injured worker. His welfare, and that of those directly impacted by this inexcusable incident, are our main priority right now,” Ravbar told media.

“We have been warning the state government since the start of this project that safety standards were grossly inadequate.”

Ravbar also accused lead contractor CPB of bullying that was leaving “many workers too frightened to speak up on safety or other issues”.