Leaked tape exposes CFMEU anger at ACTU’s Sally McManus

The ACTU’s Sally McManus has been targeted in a leaked recording of a union meeting over her attempts to remove bikies. LISTEN TO THE TAPE

Exclusive: A secret tape has exposed how a CFMEU employee claimed the justifications for putting the union into administration were a “load of shit”.

The powerful union, which has assets of more than $300 million, was plunged into administration for five years after reports it had been infiltrated by bikies and organised crime.

However, the decision to strip the CFMEU of its rights and force out more than 270 officials across the country caused anger in the union movement.

Lisa Andrew, who is still working at the CFMEU, hit out at Australian Council of Trades Hall secretary Sally McManus at a union Labour Day dinner in Ballarat, Victoria.

Ms Andrew said in a recording that Ms McManus was wrong to claim that the administration was only there to stamp out corruption, arguing she had been put under the microscope at only an hour’s notice.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

She said on the recording that she was “almost a removed person” because she was on an ALP committee.

“I was called in within one hour’s notice on a day I was working from home,” she said.

“I was told I had to come into the administrator’s office with one hour’s notice and if I didn’t I would be fired.”

Ms Andrew said on the day that she was interrogated, Ms McManus had said on social media that the administration was only targeting bikies.

The CFMEU has issues with bikies. Picture: Supplied

“What a load of shit, and more than that, I was, and I still am, prohibited from talking out publicly about it. Even the fact I’m up here today is a risk. I might be fired because I told you about my personal experience,” she said on the tape, which was recorded in March.

“We’re not criminals, we’re not bikies, the vast majority of us are unionists that just want to go about their jobs and move this movement along for the benefit of working people.

“This legislation comes after not one of us, but all of us. You can’t be a unionist and support this legislation.

“Every single one of us is here tonight because at some point we made the decision that we weren’t going to be politically inactive. We were going to step up and work for working people and that’s what this night is all about.”

Mark Irving KC, CFMEU administrator. Picture: Alex Coppel

Ms Andrew has previously hit headlines when she attended an ALP meeting in August last year in the days after the CFMEU was plunged into administration.

Mark Irving, KC, was appointed for a five-year term to clean up the union, but has been delayed in making sweeping changes after a High Court challenge to the administration.

Some union members have been angry at the slow pace of change.

It was revealed this week that he was offering redundancy packages to CFMEU officials worth hundreds of thousands.

However, sources claim that anyone who took the payout was unlikely to be able to work at another union.

Ms Andrew resigned from her role at an ALP committee after being given an ultimatum by the administration.

Sources claim she would have been placed on a “removed persons” list if she had not complied.

A CFMEU spokesman said: “The High Court ruling ended a period of uncertainty for the Union, and the Administration is now able to fully focus on returning the Union to the membership as a strong democratic, member-controlled Union which is enduringly free of corruption and criminal influence as soon as possible.

“We look forward to working with everyone inside and outside the Union that is committed to the project of ongoing reform that is necessary for the Union.”

Ms McManus was approached for comment.

Originally published as Leaked tape exposes CFMEU anger at ACTU’s Sally McManus