9th September 2025
Profits Over Safety, Corporate Bullying at its worst on Cross River Rail Project
Union slams UGL and CPB over asbestos scandal
Revelations that Pyropanel FRB Fire doors containing asbestos material supplied by Assa Abloy and built into the fire doors by Firemex at the Cross River Rail Project have been flagged by Border Force Australia as containing asbestos materials was a new low for the embattled project, according to the Electrical Trades Union.
But it’s what UGL and CPB have done since the revelation that represents one of the worst cases of corporate bullying ever seen in this state according to ETU Assistant State Secretary Chris Lynch.
“In 2025 with all the knowledge about asbestos diseases, the companies instead of complying with their own policies have refused to pay traumatised workers unless they return to the contaminated site. You can’t make this stuff up; this is corporate bastardry pure and simple.” Mr Lynch said there are more than 180 contaminated fire doors at the Gabba section alone.
With the companies’ flagrant disregard for the health and safety of its workers the ETU took the action any union worth their salt would do, they sat down with the affected members and worked through appropriate responses which included a refusal to work in the contaminated areas until they were swab tested and certified as clean and asbestos free. The workers have made it perfectly clear that they are willing and ready to work anywhere across the project where it is safe to do so.
“The reasonable demand to not further expose themselves or by extension their families to the deadly carcinogen was met with a pig-headed response of no work, no pay by the companies.”
“Our members stand firm in their resolve to not work in an area of known contamination. Until now workers have been unaware of the existence of asbestos materials, they have been drilling into carcinogenic materials, creating dust in the area and throughout the site.” Lynch said.
This joint venture between CPB and UGL on the Cross River Rail Project have been found to breach their own Asbestos Management Plan as clause 2.3 states ‘Suspected Asbestos Contaminated Material (ACM) shall be treated as ACM until proven otherwise via testing.’ Lynch maintains CPB and UGL are “blatantly refusing to make the site safe for workers and in fact have removed clause 2.3 from their revised policy dated 27/8/2025.”
“They are putting profits before people and bullying workers back to work with no confirmation that it is safe to do so” he says.
“This situation isn’t just a life-threatening Health and Safety risk; this poses a significant halt on productivity and a psychosocial issue for workers. One of the workers refusing to work in these conditions lived through the experience of seeing his father die from Asbestosis, we can only imagine how outraged and upset he is at this whole situation.”
The ETU Queensland and Northern Territory call on CPB and UGL to uphold their obligation under the Workplace Health and Safety act, as well as their own original Asbestos Management Plan, and allow these workers to safely return to their working duties.
Formore information please contact Chris Lynch 0407 510 329 or Will Yates 0448 633 858