TWU SLAMS LACK OF ACTION AS TWO SYDNEY CONCRETE TRUCK DRIVERS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID

The TWU is demanding answers from Hanson Concrete after two of its truck drivers in Greenacre tested positive for COVID, with 97 other workers now in isolation.

The drivers deliver concrete to major infrastructure projects like the WestConnex.

Drivers at the site learned of the infection through union delegates rather than the company. The TWU understands that the first Covid case tested positive last Friday or Saturday. A second case was tested positive on Monday the 12th of July.

NSW Health shut the company’s operations down early today after issuing a close contact notice last night. The TWU understand that both employee and owner drivers from a range of Hanson yards, from Kulnura on the Central Coast, Greenacre and other Sydney yards are in isolation.

The Union is concerned that there are up to 12 workers involved in the WestConnex Rozelle Project who have also tested positive for Covid.

TWU NSW Branch Secretary Richard Olsen said drivers are angry that they were not told by Hanson or NSW Health immediately after the first driver tested positive.

“Hanson’s lack of action, their incapacity to manage their duty of care shows they have do not fully accept their responsibility for the safety of employee and owner drivers right across their fleet.”

“The TWU has learned about these cases this week, from delegates who heard of them through rumours, word of mouth in the yard. A vital, critical industry providing income for hundreds of families and supporting major Sydney infrastructure has been brought to its knees because of Hanson management’s inability to provide a COVID safe workplace.

‘We are also concerned about delays in NSW Health management of the notification system and believe the close contact notice should have been put out before last night.”