Attack forces Premier’s hand in crackdown on rogue CFMEU
Premier Steven Miles has vowed to take “what steps are necessary” to crack down on the CFMEU after a non-union worker was allegedly assaulted outside his home.
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Laws to bring Queensland’s most militant union into line are being urgently drafted as Premier Steven Miles vows to crack down on the CFMEU following claims that a non-union worker involved in a brawl while trying to cross a picket line was later assaulted outside his home.
While the CFMEU has rejected any knowledge of the alleged attack on Wednesday, Mr Miles said he would do whatever it took to stamp out union-linked violence and intimidation.
“We are determined to take what steps are necessary at a state level … because it is not acceptable,” he said on Thursday.
Mr Miles declared that the state government would be ready to pull legislative triggers to put the CFMEU into administration once the necessary moves federally, including through the Fair Work Commission, took place.
His comments come amid revelations a Cross River Rail worker was allegedly attacked by two men outside his Logan Reserve home about 5am on Wednesday as he was leaving for work.
The alleged victim was one of two non-union construction workers involved in a violent clash with CFMEU members outside the Dutton Park site of the rail project in May.
The Courier-Mail does not suggest any of the individuals involved in the brawl were connected to the alleged assault.
Police confirmed they were investigating the alleged incident. A security guard was outside the house on Thursday.
The CFMEU has rejected any knowledge of, or involvement in, the alleged assault, with Queensland secretary Michael Ravbar declaring that he was confident the police investigation would prove that to be the case.
Mr Miles confirmed he had been made aware of the alleged assault and had spoken to Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski, who had assured him it was “being taken incredibly seriously”.
“We are working on what steps are necessary to apply that administration to the Queensland branch of the CFMEU,” Mr Miles said.
He said this would likely involve “urgent legislation to appoint an administrator to the Queensland registered entity”, with the laws to be put in place “as quickly as possible” once the federal government made its own legal moves.
The first step in placing CFMEU branches across the east coast into administration involves Fair Work Commission chief Murray Furlong making an application in the federal court.
A CPB Contractors spokesman confirmed a worker on the Cross River Rail project informed the company on Wednesday that he had been attacked outside his home.
“This physical assault is the latest in a number of reports received by CPB Contractors of threatening and criminal behaviour, including death threats towards workers,” he said.
Mr Ravbar rejected the “outrageous” suggestion by CPB Contractors that the CFMEU was linked to an alleged assault on a Cross River Rail worker off-site.
“The CFMEU had no knowledge of, or involvement in, the alleged assault,” he said.
“We trust the police will examine all lines of inquiry, and we are confident the investigation will show the CFMEU was not involved in the alleged incident.”
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