Covid-19 Australia: Melbourne construction workers stage protest against new restrictions

Construction workers have blocked streets across Melbourne to protest the state government’s new coronavirus restrictions for the industry.

Dozens of workers set up plastic chairs and tables while they took a smoke break along Lonsdale Street on Friday morning.

The flash protest forced the cancellation of trams on nearby Spencer Street sparking commuter chaos. 

Similar demonstrations have also occurred in Brunswick, Coburg, Kew, Parkville and Richmond. The roads have now been cleared.

It comes after the Victorian government imposed tough restrictions on the industry, given 13 per cent of the state’s active COVID-19 cases have been linked to transmission at construction sites.

From 11:59pm on Friday, tea rooms at construction sites must shut and food and drink can no longer be consumed indoors, while travel between Melbourne and the regions for work will be banned.

Construction workers have blocked streets across Melbourne to protest the state government’s new coronavirus restrictions for the industry

Dozens of workers blocked Lonsdale Street with plastic chairs and tables while they took a smoke break, forcing the cancellation of trams on nearby Spencer Street on Friday morning

Dozens of workers blocked Lonsdale Street with plastic chairs and tables while they took a smoke break, forcing the cancellation of trams on nearby Spencer Street on Friday morning

All construction workers will be required to show evidence to their employer that they’ve had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, by 11.59pm on September 23.

Limited medical exemptions and proof-of-booking exceptions will apply, in keeping with the vaccine mandate for aged care workers.

Victorian state construction union secretary John Setka said the decision to close tea rooms was ‘appalling’, given it was made without consulting the CFMEU.

‘It’s not really a protest,’ he told 3AW radio on Friday.

‘What they decided was if we can’t sit in the smoko shed, where do we have our break? So they’ve taken all the tables and chairs out into the fresh air.

‘They’ve got nowhere else to have their smoko.’

Premier Daniel Andrews said the decision was backed by health advice and designed to keep the construction industry open at its 25 per cent workforce cap.

‘If they want to work and be part of that 25 per cent, they need to be vaccinated with one dose by midnight next Thursday night,’ he told reporters on Thursday.

‘If they’re not, they won’t be able to come on site. That’s keeping them open. The other thing would be to close them down to zero.’

The industry was earlier this week warned it risked losing its authorised worker status amid the launch of an enforcement and vaccination blitz.

At the time, the state’s COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar described tea rooms as the ‘most dangerous place’ to contract the virus.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Dr Weimar stood by the decision to introduce the new restrictions.  

‘We’ve seen a number of examples, and I appreciate people think it’s amusing, but when you have people across the industry in the construction industry and they’re in a small cabin or hut enjoying food and drink together, that’s a significant risk of transmission,’ he said. 

Similar protests have also occurred in Brunswick, Coburg, Kew, Parkville and Richmond. The roads have now been cleared

Similar protests have also occurred in Brunswick, Coburg, Kew, Parkville and Richmond. The roads have now been cleared

It comes after the Victorian government imposed tough restrictions on the industry, given 13 per cent of the state's active COVID-19 cases have been linked to transmission at construction sites

It comes after the Victorian government imposed tough restrictions on the industry, given 13 per cent of the state’s active COVID-19 cases have been linked to transmission at construction sites

‘The CHO has talked about it many times. It’s a self-evident risk we need to manage. The weather is getting better and it doesn’t seem unreasonable to partake in those activities outside, preferably not on tram tracks.’ 

The protests were held as the state recorded 510 new cases and one death – a woman in her 50s.

Of the new cases, only 124 have been linked to known outbreaks with the source still unknown for 386 new infections.

The majority of cases have been recorded in Melbourne’s northern suburbs with 276 infections recorded across Craigieburn, Roxburgh Park and Broadmeadows.    

More to come 

At the time, the state's COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar described tea rooms as the 'most dangerous place' to contract the virus

At the time, the state’s COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar described tea rooms as the ‘most dangerous place’ to contract the virus

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