David Crisafulli vows to overhaul BPIC framework to curb CFMEU influence on big projects

David Crisafulli has all but declared war against the CFMEU, saying it is solely to blame for Queensland becoming ground zero for militant union behaviour.

• Watch: Shirts-off, fists-flying all-in picket line brawl

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has all but declared war against the CFMEU, vowing to overhaul BPIC framework if elected in October – a move he says the vast majority of unions would welcome.

The LNP will launch a productivity review as part of its 100 day post-election plan, with Mr Crisafulli saying he was committed to reworking industrial framework to embed productivity requirements into contracts to reduce the number of lost days on worksites.

He then singled-out the CFMEU as the main contributor to Queensland’s productivity woes.

“Whatever you call the (BPIC) arrangement, whatever slogan the government gives it, I just want to know that when a contract is signed that it is adhered to,” he said.

“We’re now ground zero for militant union behaviour because of the CFMEU, not because of other unions, because of the CFMEU and it has to be called out.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli says the behaviour of the CFMEU needs to be “called out”. Picture: Liam Kidston

Minister Mick de Brenni defended the government’s relationship with the CFMEU after the Courier-Mail yesterday revealed the union was consulted before companies were awarded government contracts.

Mr de Brenni denied unions, including the CFMEU, had any decision making authority, despite it being consulted heavily.

“There’s absolutely separation between the advice the industry gives us and the decision makers,” he said.

“We want to make sure that we don’t reward companies for doing the wrong thing, and reward companies for doing the right thing.”

Premier Steven Miles said the reporting of the special advice relationship with unions was “misleading”.

“This ongoing attack on the workplace conditions of workers on our jobs, I’m really sick of,” he said.

Construction workers take part in a CFMEU union rally outside Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

Earlier this week it was revealed Queensland had developed into a hotbed for union strikes, after losing a whopping 9400 work days to union action in a single quarter.

The staggering number -which mounted to more than all other jurisdictions combined- prompted construction sector leaders to issue a warning over the potential for significant delays to the state’s hefty infrastructure and housing projects if the strike levels continued.

Mr Crisafulli on Saturday said the LNP review would focus on ensuring productivity is honoured on construction sites, with all unions to have a seat at the table during the rework process.

“The framework that needs to exist is unions need to be there to make sure that workers are safe, well paid and productive,” he said.

“I think the vast majority of unions will welcome that.

“As to the CFMEU, I’ll let them determine how they want to conduct themselves.”

He also said he would keep the” thuggish” behaviour by the CFMEU in check until the culture changed.

“At the moment in Queensland, the unions are the kingmakers, they pick who sits around the Cabinet table, they pick who gets to go on to job sites, they pick what productivity looks like … and the state government is completely and utterly paralysed on it,” he said.