'Constructing Fear' is a 40 minute documentary which explains the evolution and implementation of a cruel Howard government initiative called the Building Construction Industry Improvement Act.
This Act was rushed through parliament in mid 2005, slipping by unnoticed by the media due to the sale of Telstra. It has now ensnared hundreds of working Australians, dragged them into secret tribunals and threatened them with jail terms and individual fines of up to $28,600 each.
These individuals are ordinary working people, labourers and tradesmen, mothers, safety officers and they all share only one common bond. They are members of a union.
Some of these workers are entrusted in the workplace to ensure safe work practices. In doing this they have become victims of an elusive taskforce populated by retired or retrenched policemen.
The job of the Australian Building and Construction Commission or ABCC is to snoop upon workers, interrogate them, and issue writs threatening fines and jail terms. Many workers are running scared, and despite feeling unjustly treated will not appear in the film. Those that do appear are unique individuals. Many have hit the wall. They can no longer take the emotional, monetary and domestic strain that the ABCC has placed upon them and their families.
For high-resolution images and additional information about the film, please see our Media Room page.
