CFMEU to offer $100 fuel vouchers to apprentices as Iran crisis risks housing pledge
Thousands of first and second-year apprentices will be eligible for $100 fuel vouchers as one of Australia’s biggest unions calls on the federal government to better protect workers against the shocks of the Iran war.
The CFMEU announced on Thursday that it will be offering vouchers to eligible apprentices every month for the next three months.
The union has warned that cost-of-living pressures, including skyrocketing fuel prices since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, risk jeopardizing apprenticeship completion rates at a time when Australia already faces a critical shortage of skilled workers.
The Albanian government will rely on many of these workers to achieve its ambitious goal of building 1.2 million new homes by 2029.
CFMEU NSW Executive Secretary Michael Crosby said apprentices had warned the union they would not be able to pay for the tools and would cancel the insurance.
“Just to cover work-related travel expenses,” he said.
“These fuel vouchers will provide immediate relief for young workers who are feeling the pinch the most.”
Fuel prices have become $100 more expensive than before the war since the US and Israel surprise attack on Iran on February 28 and the Islamic Republic effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz with the Ford Ranger, Australia’s most popular car.
Diesel, on which the industry is heavily dependent, has also skyrocketed to over $3 a liter.
The Albanian government tried to reduce fuel prices by cutting excise taxes, releasing some of its reserves, and temporarily lowering import standards.
The vouchers will be available to all CFMEU apprentices and award-related apprentices in their first two years of training in Enterprise Bargaining Agreements and aim to prevent finance-related dropouts.
Already, apprenticeship completion rates in the construction industry are only 58 percent nationwide.
The union stated that the main reason for apprentices leaving their positions was wage concerns, with some receiving wages as low as $18 per hour in the first year, despite having to travel long distances to reach their workplaces.
Mr Crosby warned that losing apprentices “means losing tomorrow’s workforce”.
“This is a national situation that requires a national response,” he said.
CFMEU is calling on the Albanian government to work with industry to keep apprentices in their roles, including through fuel subsidies for travel to and from work.
It is also pushing for financial advice for apprentices, direct employment support and dedicated funding to maintain the Australian Skills Guarantee.
Australia is predicted to face a shortage of around 300,000 skilled workers in the construction industry by mid-2027.
The Albanian government has repeatedly highlighted the labor shortage as the main challenge to increasing housing supply and therefore affordability.
But these workers will also be needed for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, as well as for infrastructure and renewable energy projects, which are key pillars of the Albanian government’s policy platform.
