Building and Construction Industry Awaits Decision on CFMEU Bill

Tens of thousands of trade workers have taken to the streets of Australian capital cities, continuing to protest the federal government’s decision to force the CFMEU’s construction arm into administration. The decision to put the union into administration comes after allegations that the CFMEU has engaged in bullying, corruption and criminal infiltration.

GALLERY  

At the Melbourne rally, Electrical Trades Union (ETU) Victoria secretary Troy Gray conceded that there were likely bikie members in the building industry but said they were vastly outnumbered.

“If there is an orchestrated continued attack on the working conditions and living standards of Victorian construction workers… we will call a third rally and there’ll be a call for a 72-hour stoppage,” he said.

Following the decision to put the union into administration, CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith wrote in a statement: “[The administration decision] undermines the democratic rights of our members to control their own future and impinges on the principles of procedural fairness and natural justice,” he said.

Australian Constructors Association (ACA) chief executive Jon Davies said agreement on the legislation is a first step forward for the industry after the revelations in the past few weeks.

“Law-abiding unions have an important role to play in the construction industry and the sooner the administrator can address all allegations of criminal and coercive behaviour within the CFMEU, the better,” he said.

Master Builders Australia (MBA) chief executive Denita Wawn said the building and construction industry is on the road to meaningful cultural change: “The industry has been at a standstill with a great cloud of uncertainty on the current operating environment and the future of the CFMEU.”

Federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt told the National Press Club that the government had not unfairly targeted CFMEU members or the construction industry.

“We haven’t done this based on what we have decided was politically convenient to do, or not,” he said.

“We did it because it was the right thing to do. There is no way that any government of any political persuasion could have ignored the allegations that we’ve seen come through the media.”

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