UPDATE: Subcontractors owed millions of dollars for work on the $135 million training and maintenance facilities being built at HMAS Albatross are stepping up their protest.
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Sub-contractors’ spokesman Mark Nelson said negotiations with Lend Lease had ground to a halt.
“We have spoken to Lend Lease and they said they will not be making remuneration payments for the work we have completed,” he said.
“We have been told they are talking to the administrators.
“We are still trying to avoid a full shut down of the site.
“Subcontractors are owned millions of dollars, we have to do something.”
He said subcontractors would be increasing their protest action and would be staging the “go slow convoy” each morning.
“At this stage it is planned for an indefinite period,” he said.
“Starting Friday we will have up to eight trucks every morning forming a slow convoy on Braidwood Road,” he said.
“The trucks will be operating from 6am to 8am each morning, which will greatly interrupt the workers arriving at the location for their day’s work.
“It will slow down the production on the site – we still want to avoid a full shutdown which would effect the innocent parties who are not involved.
“We will keep up the protest indefinitely until we get a result.
“We have had support from a number of truck owners and operators who will take part in the protest action.”
Mr Nelson said he has been overwhelmed with offers of moral and financial support and with others offers of work.
7.30am The second protest this month is being held Thursday by subcontractors owed millions of dollars for work on a project at HMAS Albatross.
The subcontractors were among at least 30 contractors owed money after Canberra-based civil engineering company, Hewatt's Earthmoving, was placed into administration.
On May 12 a number of Shoalhaven trucking companies and suppliers parked six trucks on Braidwood Road near the site to draw attention to their plight.
During the previous protest subcontractors’ spokesman Mark Nelson, from Co-ordinated Logistics said protest could be stepped up and could potentially close down the work site unless workers receive owed payments of between $3 million and $5 million.
“My company alone is owed $350,000 and I know of at least 30 contractors who are owed money,” he said.
While Mr Nelson said it is hoped the dispute can be quickly resolved, further action including a blockade of the site was not out of the question.
