Federal Government vs CFMEU: Lawless state of the union
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has condemned the lawless behaviour of the militant CFMEU, but stopped short of telling the union to rein it in after it was revealed it had been slapped with over $2 million in fines in 18 months.
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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has condemned the lawless behaviour of the militant CFMEU, but stopped short of telling the union to rein it in after it was revealed it had been slapped with over $2 million in fines in 18 months.
Speaking in Mackay today for the first day of the State Government’s “Governing From the Regions” tour, Ms Palaszczuk said the fact the CFMEU had been hit with the fines was proof the legal system was working in Queensland.
The Courier-Mail today revealed Queensland courts have laid $2.4 million worth of fines on the CFMEU and its individuals for “deliberate, flagrant and systematic” abuse of workplace legislation on 25 building sites worth $4 billion to Queensland.
Ms Palaszczuk also went on to acknowledge the union movement for the role they play within the Labor Party.
“I say this about the union movement; The union movement stands up for workers’ rights and conditions and have been at the forefront of change,” she said.
“That union (CFMEU) in particular was very instrumental in bringing the whole black lung issue to the national forefront. They were instrumental in ensuring there are safer environments in the workplace so I think when you are talking about the union movement, it’s no secret that the Labor Party grew out of the union movement.”
Despite history showing CFMEU action will often delay building on a worksite, Ms Palaszczuk said she was not concerned about any further delays on major Queensland projects.
“Let me be very clear, and this is to everyone, whether you are a member of the business community or a member of the union, there are laws of Queensland of which the public expects everyone to abide by,” she said.
It comes as high ranking CFMEU official John Setka last week boasted on Sky News that they were able to achieve such good results for their members because of their constant lobbying outside of the laws.
The CFMEU raked in around $14 million in membership fees during the last year alone.
EARLIER
MILLIONS of dollars in fines have failed to stop the militant union behind the delays on some of Queensland’s most critical construction jobs, setting the scene for a battle royale between the Federal Government and the CFMEU.
Despite being slammed as “deliberate, flagrant and systematic” and “the most recidivist corporate offender in Australian history” by Federal Court judges, CFMEU bosses boast their “fight outside the law” has secured members the best conditions.
Analysis by The Courier-Mail shows the CFMEU has been stung for $2.4 million in fines during the past 18 months for disrupting work on 25 building projects worth $4 billion in Queensland alone.
But in just one year, the cashed-up union collected about $14 million from members and has splashed out more than $3 million in legal fees and penalties, according to its 2016 financial records, while continuing to thumb its nose at the courts.
High-ranking CFMEU official John Setka last week boasted that members received good pay rises and conditions because the union broke the law.
“We get fantastic pay rises and good conditions for our members because we fight it outside the law,” he said on Sky News.
Reacting to the figures, Workplace Minister Craig Laundy has vowed to push ahead with contested laws to potentially see organisations and officials who repeatedly breach the industrial laws deregistered.
“It is a real concern but no surprise given the CFMEU’s track record,” he said.
“The building and construction industry is one of the most important industries in terms of generating employment and economic growth.
“As Minister, I’m pushing ahead with further reforms to give the courts expand greater scope and powers to disqualify union officials and deregister unions — or parts of unions — that continue to wilfully ignore the rule of law.”
The laws are yet to be brought to the Senate, as they lack support from the current crossbench.
In response to Mr Setka’s comments, Opposition leader Bill Shorten last week said no one was above the law, but he was “not the keeper of every official in the union movement”.
Former Queensland Labor premier Peter Beattie last week said if he was Mr Shorten he would refuse donations from Mr Setka’s CFMEU.
But Mr Shorten said he would not be taking Mr Beattie’s advice. “No I’m not going to take that advice. I think the real issue here if we want to talk about cleaning up donations is the Turnbull Government should stop taking foreign donations,” he said.
In the 18 months since the Australian Building and Construction Commission was reformed, it has won 10 court cases against the CFMEU and received almost $2.4 million in penalties against its Queensland branch. The state tied with NSW for the highest amount of fines slapped on the union, while there has been $6.9 million in penalties nationally over 27 cases in the same time period.
Master Builders Queensland CEO Grant Galvin said the CFMEU’s propensity to break laws they considered unjust, was unparalleled.
“If the rest of society began to apply the CFMEU’s principles to everyday life, we would have anarchy,” he said. “The cost to taxpayers makes the fines given to the CFMEU pale into insignificance.’’
ABCC Commissioner Stephen McBurney said he would work to ensure all in the industry understood and complied with the law, but would not hesitate to commence court proceedings where appropriate.
“I am determined to see the ABCC works to ensure all in the industry respect the law, whether they are unions, employers or employees,” he said.
Last month Justice Berna Collier said the number of industrial law breaches revealed “an organisational culture in the union in which contraventions of the law have become normalised”.
In August, Justice John Dowsett said no amount of penalties had reduced the CFMEU’s willingness to breach the law and that it continued to thumb its nose at them .
CFMEU Queensland financial documents show that in 2016 the union pulled in more than $14 million from members, while it paid out $3.025 in legal fees, litigation, penalties and settlements.
The CFMEU Queensland did not respond to requests for comment.
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