Canberra's building union wants the speed on more territory roads reduced to 40km/h.
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The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union says an ACT government plan to slash speed limits in Civic, Belconnen and Tuggeranong should also apply to roadwork sites.
The union's ACT secretary Dean Hall accused the government of treating building workers like second-class citizens, expecting them to work on main thoroughfares signposted at 60km/h.
But Roads ACT says the speed limit arrangements on Canberra roadwork sites are safe.
The government announced this week it would cut speed limits to 40km/h in the busiest parts of Civic, Belconnen and Tuggeranong to protect cyclists and pedestrians.
Mr Hall accused the government of having one set of safety standards for the general public and another for road workers.
The union secretary said the speed in roadwork areas without concrete barriers to protect workers should be reduced to 40km/h.
But work sites such as Parkes Way were marked at 60km/h, with plastic poles separating workers from traffic.
''There's a feeling from us that it's not done for safety reasons, it's done for a political reason, and that is they don't want anyone put out, going to and from work, going through roadwork areas,'' Mr Hall said. ''On one hand, they're going to change all these areas in the city to 40 to protect people.
''This is just another example where construction workers are being treated like second-class citizens.''
Mr Hall said work sites on highways, such as the Hume, allowed driving speeds of 80km/h, but with concrete barriers to protect workers from the traffic.
''I've got no problem with 40km/h in the town centres,'' he said. ''It's commonsense public safety, but why don't they apply it on road jobs?
''Apply the same safety standards to construction sites that we expect in the community.
''Slow it down to 40 or, if you're not going to do that, put in hard barriers.''
But Roads ACT director Tony Gill said there was no blanket safety rule for territory roadwork areas.
Mr Gill said sites were assessed case by case.
He said a vacant lane separated workers from the traffic on the Parkes Way site, making the 60km/h limit appropriate and compliant with national standards.
''If that space was not there, we would reduce the speed to 40km/h,'' he said.
''For example, Barry Drive, where that buffer zone is not available, we've reduced it to 40km/h.
''We have taken Mr Hall's concerns seriously and we have inspected the [Parkes Way] site on a number of occasions.
''Our view is that it has worked.''