Union slams Council over cladding scandal, Diverting attention away from failure won’t ensure safety
Cairns Regional Council ‘s attempt to link the CPAC cladding scandal with ongoing EBA negotiations is nothing short of a pathetic attempt to divert attention away from the Council’s failure to ensure public safety, the ETU said today.
State Organiser Robert Hill said the Council had serious questions to answer about their knowledge of the flammable cladding issues at CPAC, given the extensive coverage of the issues around cladding risks following the June 2017 Grenfell Towers tragedy in which 72 people lost their lives.
“This failure of process on behalf of the Council is bizarre, they would have, or should have had full knowledge of the significant risks associated with this dodgy cladding before they put it up, and they should have taken action to ensure it was not used, why didn’t they?” Mr Hill said.
The Mayor’s attempt to divert attention away from his Council’s own failings showed more about the Mayor’s inability to provide leadership according to Mr Hill.
“In drawing attention to protracted EBA negotiations Manning has attempted to link two totally different sets of circumstances, we as Unions have had plenty to say about the Council’s failure to provide equitable wage outcomes and we will continue to do so, it has absolutely nothing to do with the cladding issue”
Hill added.
“Manning, in drawing attention to other buildings is trying to muddy the waters, his use of the Cairns Hospital D Block as an example, is as misleading as it is mischievous, that building was completed in 2014/2015 at least two years before Grenfell. His example would be similar to saying ah we used asbestos material, because plenty of other buildings used it before us, it’s absurd and dangerous”
Mr Hill said “The CPAC cladding scandal is about two things; failures to ensure safety and a lack of accountability, and the buck stops with Manning”