Gold Coast May Day

The State Government asset sell-off, NAPLAN testing, the continuing Queensland Health payroll debacle and the Australian Building and Construction Commission dominated unionists' agendas at Gold Coast May Day celebrations yesterday.

Hundreds of members marched through Southport to the Broadwater Parklands to mark unions' triumphs for workers' rights.

But union representatives were dismayed they still did not appear to have Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's ear.

Peter Simpson, from the Electrical Trades Union, said the Australian Building and Construction Commission, which was established under the Howard government's WorkChoices era, was still operating under the present Labor Government.

"The ABCC is an absolute disgrace to have around under a Labor government," said Mr Simpson.

"We fought our (backsides) off to get (Labor) in in 2007.

"I fee like ripping my ticket up and it's already got tear marks in it, I can tell you."

Builders Labourers Federation state secretary Greg Simcoe said the ABCC gave construction workers fewer rights than even the country's worst criminals.

"We have no right to silence," he said, referring to a South Australian case where a union representative was facing jail because he would not tell a commission about details of a safety meeting.

Mr Simpson said NAPLAN testing had also incensed union members.