Melbourne, Sept 21 (AFP\/APP):Construction sites across Melbourne were abruptly shuttered Tuesday after labourers rioted against new vaccination requirements in Australia’s second-largest city.<\/p>\n
Sites will be closed for two weeks, in what authorities described as a response to “widespread non-compliance” with Covid-19 regulations and violent protests.<\/p>\n
More than 100 construction workers in high-visibility vests brawled and smashed union office windows in central Melbourne on Monday, voicing their anger at the vaccine requirement.<\/p>\n
Melbourne has been in strict lockdown for seven weeks, as authorities struggle to contain an outbreak of the fast-spreading Delta variant.
\nSeveral clusters have been linked to construction sites, where Covid containment measures are said to be lax.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been clear: if you don’t follow the rules, we won’t hesitate to take action,” said state minister for industrial relations Tim Pallas, announcing the shutdown.<\/p>\n
“We put the industry on notice just a week ago, we have seen appalling behaviour on site and on our streets, and now we’re acting decisively and without hesitation,” he said.<\/p>\n
The closure of construction sites leaves tens of thousands of people out of work, and further protests are expected Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Local construction union boss John Setka denounced the small group of violent protesters, whom he said were hurting the entire workforce.
\n“Those drunken fascist un-Australian morons are the reason construction workers will be sitting at home and not getting paid for the next two weeks,” he said.<\/p>\n
The state of Victoria recorded 603 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Melbourne, Sept 21 (AFP\/APP):Construction sites across Melbourne were abruptly shuttered Tuesday after labourers rioted against new vaccination requirements in Australia’s second-largest city. Sites will be closed for two weeks, in what authorities described as a response to “widespread non-compliance” with Covid-19 regulations and violent protests. […]<\/p>\n
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