Inquest told CFMEU heavyweights proudly operated above the law
CFMEU heavyweights used a business model of fear in dealings with the construction industry and Queensland government, an extraordinary first day of an inquiry has heard.
Heavyweights of the militant CFMEU proudly operated above the law and made fear their business model to gain influence in the construction industry, an inquiry has heard.
Former Queensland CFMEU leaders Michael Ravbar and Jade Ingham also allegedly modelled their behaviour on the disgraced Victorian union branch to cut rival unions out of the building sector.
These were among the claims unearthed in an extraordinary first day of testimony at the landmark Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU and misconduct in the construction industry.
Corruption-buster Geoffrey Watson SC, who will remain in the witness box on Wednesday, said the now-ousted CFMEU leaders Mr Ravbar and Mr Ingham “revelled” in notoriety.
It was Mr Watson’s report into the CFMEU — ordered by administrator Mark Irving KC — that first laid bare a long list of violent acts perpetrated by the union in Queensland. The report triggered the inquiry, which is set to run until mid-2026.
■ CFMEU’s wild Qld history revealed
Mr Watson told the Inquiry that the CFMEU actively acted “outside the law”.
“Their business model was to be feared by everybody,” he said.
“If you negotiate with us, do not think for a second we will obey the law. We will act outside the law.
“It just seemed to be kind of something that slipped off the rails, and it just seemed as though it was in the mindset.”
Mr Watson, asked whether this attitude was also present in the union’s dealings with government, said: “absolutely, it was fundamental”.
Engineers walked off jobs rather than endure worksite atmospheres of violence and abuse, with Mr Watson telling the Inquiry that workers actively avoided the Cross River Rail worksite.
Mr Watson told the inquiry that major builders refused to participate in his investigation into the Queensland branch for fear of “rocking the boat,” with a significant amount of evidence provided by the Australian Workers’ Union.
He revealed he cried after hearing one man’s account of mistreatment.
“That’s something I’m not easily going to forget,” he said.
New video evidence revealed during the Inquiry showed CFMEU members hurling abuse at AWU members outside of a Brisbane worksite.
The footage, filmed by an AWU organiser, showed a group of men screaming “AWU, grubs”.
“Get your little wagon and f***off now,” one man shouted.
“You’re paid sh** f***ing money, you rob the workers of entitlements, you rob them of pay and you rob them of terms and conditions.
“You come here and think you can undercut our agreement … you’re going to be a thing of the past.”
Mr Watson said he suspected Mr Ravbar and Mr Ingham imposed union officials on chosen contractors to control sites, a “bad habit” learned from Victoria under John Setka.
He linked the tactic to a push to drive the AWU off civil work.
“I really do believe that what had happened here in Queensland is that people in the leadership positions had seen what had happened in Victoria … Setka had pushed the AWU off all of the civil work,” Mr Watson said.
“They terrified the contractors.
“I’m 100 per cent confident (that) Mr Ravbar and Mr Ingham saw that success and thought, we can do the same here.”
“And if you remember, a lot of the troubles really wrapped up in Queensland around the time that you have massive infrastructure projects, which is tunnels, railways, things which normally fall within the jurisdiction of the AWU, so they were doing it for that reason.”
The inquiry also heard of an alleged exchange at Bowen Hills in which former CFMEU president Royce Kupsch told a senior public servant presenting draft legislation that he was “their boss now,” including phrases like “you will take your directions from me” and “you are now working for us”.
“ (Kupsch) rejected the idea that a senior public servant would be arriving with legislation already drafted. In other words, it should be left to us to draw,” Mr Watson said.
Mr Kupsch denied this interaction via email correspondence to Mr Watson and refused to be interviewed.
Mr Watson SC brought unredacted versions of his 45 page report but counsel assisting Mark Costello KC asked that they not be tendered, citing redactions needed to protect confidential witnesses.
He expressed concern about links between CFMEU officials and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland but declined to discuss matters involving former WHS director Helen Burgess who is currently under investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission.
Interviews with CFMEU employees were described as “hopeless,” with Mr Watson alleging they read from a prepared script and were driven to the interview location by a “brother” of Mr Ingham.
He criticised Mr Ravbar for posting a video response to his findings after refusing to be interviewed.
“I saw that he went on YouTube to criticise me,” he said.
“I don’t like that, but what he raised was something which he said specifically contradicted something I had in the report.
“Well, I would have taken what he had into account had he come to me.”
The Inquiry continues on Wednesday with more evidence from Mr Watson SC.
It will later this week hear from construction employee Timothy Ellis, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland executive director of compliance and field services
Sarina Wise and CFMEU Administrator Mark Irving KC.
Five things we learnt at the CFMEU hearing (Day 1)
1: Royce Kupsch is the (previously) unnamed CFMEU official who allegedly yelled at a senior public servant during a meeting discussing changes to industrial relations, first revealed in the Watson report.
2: A relative of ousted leader Jade Ingham drove union members to their scheduled interviews with Geoffrey Watson.
3: It may have been a joke from AWU secretary Stacey Schinnerl at a Labor conference in November 2022 which accelerated the ‘turf war’ with the CFMEU.
4: The CFMEU had a direct financial incentive to intimidate the AWU and claim more civil job sites. By increasing its membership base, money could flow into union-linked superannuation funds which paid dividends to the union itself, rather than individuals, Geoffrey Watson said.
5: Multiple witnesses told Geoffrey Watson about former WHS Helen Burgess’ relationship with a senior CFMEU official. The details were not included in the Watson report.
