Vic: Victorian crane drivers to defy death threats

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2005
Vic: Victorian crane drivers to defy death threats

MELBOURNE, April 12 AAP - Victorian crane drivers today decided to carry on working
despite threats they would be shot unless a $50 million ransom was paid.

In the second threat in two months, extortionists demanded construction giant Multiplex
pay the ransom or crane drivers in Australia or the United Kingdom would be killed.

NSW police and senior Multiplex management briefed Victorian crane drivers on the threat
today and the drivers then met to decide whether to walk off the job before the April
18 deadline given in the extortion demand.

The Victorian secretary of the crane drivers' union Tommy Watson said police had told
the drivers they were looking at "several people of interest" in NSW in relation to the
threats.

Police had given details of the threats to the drivers who then voted to carry on working
past the April 18 deadline.

"Our members are concerned. They've got families, they've got kids the same as everyone
else," Mr Watson said.

"But at the end of the day you've got to make a decision - do you make a stand or don't you."

Mr Watson said some crane drivers were worried about the threats and some would be
nervous when they climbed up into their cranes on Monday morning.

"Some of them will be fairly nervous," he said.

"We have an agreement with Multiplex, if some of our members are concerned, then those
individual members will be counselled."

Mr Watson said it would be difficult to modify cranes to protect drivers from a sniper.

"All you could do is put bullet proof glass in the window, but on sunny days they have
windows open and doors open and they've still got to walk up and down the crane to get
there," he said.

Mr Watson said Victorian crane drivers had decided they wanted to get on with work
as normal without any extra security.

The threat covered all crane drivers and was not limited to Multiplex workers, he said.

AAP apw/mh/evt/bwl

KEYWORD: MULTIPLEX VIC

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