The government’s bid to break up the CFMEU has been met with significant pushback, with the national secretary of the militant union, one of Labor’s key financial backers, accusing the government of undermining workers groups.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie says small to medium enterprises in the civil construction sector will “go broke” from “targeted attacks” by the Australian Workers’ Union and the CMFEU if the new industrial relations bill gets up.
Labor’s industrial relations bill recently passed the House of Representatives after the government made several amendments to the legislation.
“This bill is so ill thought out the government itself has put up 150 amendments to its own legislation,” Ms McKenzie told Sky News Australia.
“I think for small to medium enterprises in the infrastructure community, this is a very, very difficult piece of legislation and that’s why we won’t be supporting it.”
Workers in the Manufacturing Division of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) will be able to vote to leave the union under the new bill should it pass the parliament.
The introduction of the bill came after powerful Victorian and Tasmanian secretary John Setka threatened to hold up works for the AFL over a grudge with the head of umpiring Stephen McBurney.
National CFMEU secretary Zach Smith said the bill set a dangerous precedent.
The national secretary of the CFMEU, Zach Smith, has pushed back against controversial government legislation introduced on Monday. Picture: CFMEU
Introduced by Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke, the government bill will give workers in the Manufacturing Division the right to vote on whether to remain within the CFMEU.
Mr Burke said many members in the manufacturing division work in female-dominated fields like textiles and do not feel properly represented by the union.
“The recent threatening and thuggish behaviour of John Setka has hardened the Government’s resolve to give members a choice,” Mr Burke said.
“It’s not hard to see why those members might want to vote to leave.
“This chance to vote was previously made available to the Mining and Energy Division of the CFMEU – which decided to split and form a separate union.”
Tony Burke said many members in the manufacturing division of the CFMEU do not feel properly represented by the union. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
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The legislation follows on from threats made by Mr Setka, to withhold cooperation on any AFL-related projects, unless it fired umpire boss Stephen McBurney, who in his previous role as Australian Building and Construction Commissioner, initiated legal action which resulted in millions of dollars of fines against the CMFEU.
The manufacturing division accused Mr Setka of using union money to pursue a “personal revenge campaign”.
Mr Smith pushed back against the legislation, accusing the government of undermining unions.
“The bill restores now-repealed Coalition-era powers to undermine unions and singles out the CFMEU to allow a ballot after the manufacturing division’s multiple failed legal attempts to do so,” he said, adding that the bill sets a “dangerous precedent” for anti-worker ideologues intended to break up unions.
“The Fair Work Commission has ruled very clearly on this issue. Instead of accepting the umpire’s decision, we’ve now seen backroom political games trump members’ best interests.
“I’m really concerned about what this will mean for members in the manufacturing division, which is in dire financial straits after wasting money in failed legal challenges.
“We are absolutely confident those members would be better served by remaining with the CFMEU.”