Builder Guilty Plea

Construction giant Baulderstone-Hornibrook has pleaded guilty to three charges arising from the death of Melbourne worker, Fred Smith, who was crushed under tonnes of falling crane gear after plummeting 17 stories from a platform in a partly built apartment block.

Baulderstone-Hornibrook faces three charges of failing to provide a safe workplace in the Melbourne County Court, following the August 2001 incident.

CFMEU State Secretary, Martin Kingham, says he doesn't expect the principles of justice and moral culpability to be highlighted by the case.

Construction Unions have slammed the Federal Government over its attitude to deaths in the building industry.

"Despite such tragedies the [Federal] government is spending just under nine million dollars of taxpayers' money every year on a so-called industrial Task Force," says Kingham. "For that money the Government has ordered its hired former police officers to harass our members should they dare to stop work to mourn the death of one of their mates."

"They demand copies of our members diaries, details of telephone calls that were made to loved ones, even scraps of long discarded note paper in an effort to bolster their non-existent case.

"Such harassment of ordinary workers for political mileage is below contempt."

The County Court is expected to hand down sentencing over the charges next week.

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Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:38 EST