CFMEU membership falling, but influence not as watchdog muzzled

The militant CFMEU’s record low membership has plunged even further, but the construction industry says its power and influence remain.

Membership of the militant construction union has plummeted below what were already record lows, but the building industry say it has done nothing to blunt its power or influence.

Financial documents for the CFMEU Queensland and NT construction branch show it had 14,600 members for the year ending March 2022.

It’s a more than 12 per cent drop just three years ago when it had more than 16,000 paid-up members, which was already the lowest since the union merged with the Builders’ Labourers Federation in 2015.

CFMEU Queensland and NT construction branch secretary Michael Ravbar leads CFMEU members in the Labour Day march in Toowoomba in April this year. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The union’s financial books also reveal the heavy toll its unlawful industrial actions and court battles with the soon-to-be abolished construction watchdog the Australian Building and Construction Commission have taken.

Its legal costs were $2.285 million in the year ending March 2022, well up from $924,899 the previous year.

The vast bulk of this, $2.278 million, was due to penalties and settlements through the courts.

The CFMEU’s surplus dropped from $1.2 million to razor-thin $61,384 in the same time frame.

While the union bosses’ salaries are no longer included in the financial statements, as of 2020 branch secretary Michael Ravbar was paid $243,166 a year, while branch president Royce Kupsch was paid $242,685 and assistant secretary Jade Ingham $209,276.

All three also had access to union-owned cars, which while primarily for work purposes “may be used for personal use during non-working hours”.

The membership in the year ending March 2019 had dropped to 16,313 from 18,135 people.

Since then, including during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, membership dropped to between 14,096 and 14,600.

Master Builders Queensland CEO Paul Bidwell said while the numbers had dropped, it’s influence and power had not.

Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell in Brisbane. Picture: Tertius Pickard

“The number of members is not the only measure of influence,” he said.

He said there had been a range of factors impacting the construction industry recently, including Covid-19, which likely would have had an impact.

“There’s no doubt in the industry it’s been very tough,” he said.

“Covid definitely made life bloody difficult.

“If members don’t think you’re doing a good job, whether it’s because they don’t think their strong enough or because of those tactics, if you can’t demonstrate value people will not be inclined to join.”

The Albanese Government recent stripped the ABCC of many of its powers, plans to defund the watchdog in its October budget before abolishing it through legislation likely next year.

The CFMEU Queensland and NT construction branch was contacted for comment.