Australia’s peak voice for the civil construction industry has welcomed the Fair Work Commission’s application to place the CFMEU in administration and launched a national campaign to encourage contractors to speak up and call out union coercion and misconduct.
We are urging contractors and employees to use the FWC’s online reporting process and take full advantage of this opportunity to speak up and call out union threats, bullying and intimidation.
Some of the recent media reports and video footage of union violence and intimidation received and now forwarded to the FWC have been disturbing and frankly hard to watch. It defies belief that this is taking place in Australia today.
There is also a sense of relief and almost disbelief in the feedback heard that with the CFMEU finally being held to account, its culture of abuse, threats and intimidation may finally be tackled with the full weight of the law.
Whilst there is hope, there are also natural concerns over confidentiality and fears of retribution. We have sought and received firm assurances from the Fair Work Commission that confidentially will be respected if requested, and that strong protections are in place for those who come forward publicly.
The CCF has welcomed the FWC’s application to appoint an administrator for some branches of the CFMEU but questioned why the Western Australia and ACT branches had not been included.
As a national body with active branches in all states and territories, we know all too well that the CFMEU’s culture of bullying and intimidation extends across all borders, that’s why we urge employers and employees right across Australia to speak up if they have been subject to union abuses of power.
A generation ago, the Cole Royal Commission identified that the construction industry is particularly vulnerable to unions that are willing to use any means to disrupt productivity and profitability, as a tactic to coerce employers and employees. We should not be revisiting this in another decade, it is time to deal with this now; it is time for this to stop.
In no other workplace in Australia would this level of psychological and physical abuse and threats be tolerated. With suicide rates in the construction industry double that of other industries, we owe it our people to speak up now.
Report a concern about the CFMEU to the Fair Work Commission here: https://www.fwc.gov.au/reportcfmeu