CFMEU withdraws Fair Work legal bid to represent Geelong council workers
The scandal-plagued CFMEU has walked away from its fight to take over the City of Greater Geelong’s blue collar workforce, pulling out of a bid to represent workers in pay deal negotiations.
Victoria
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The scandal-plagued CFMEU has abandoned its push to take over the City of Greater Geelong’s blue collar workforce, pulling out of a Fair Work Commission bid to represent workers in pay deal negotiations.
As revealed by the Herald Sun in June, the militant construction union was recruiting council workers who were represented by the Australian Services Union.
It had also demanded access to the negotiation table – alongside the Australian Services Union – for new local government enterprise agreements.
The CFMEU bid to recruit garbos, gardeners and blue collar council workers to its union prompted a firing back from council chief executive Ali Wastie who said they had “no place at the City of Geelong Geelong”, claiming their attempts to infiltrate local government would be “detrimental”.
Ms Wastie said CFMEU involvement would both hurt the council’s productivity and hinder its ability to deliver services.
On Thursday the union wrote to the Fair Work Commission to discontinue its application to represent workers at the bargaining table for a new enterprise agreement at the City of Greater Geelong.
The backdown has been viewed as a major victory by some within council circles.
In a statement, a council spokesman said: “The City of Greater of Geelong welcomes the decision of the CFMEU to discontinue their bid.”
Lawyers for the Australian Services Union had previously written to the Fair Work Commission to block the CFMEU’s attempt to join negotiations at Geelong.
On Thursday, the ASU boasted online about the backdown and said it had recommenced bargaining last week.
“The ASU is your voice at the bargaining table and your delegates and officials will be fighting to improve your wages and conditions. We stand united as the local government union at Geelong and across the industry,” the union said.
The CFMEU has in recent weeks been the subject of allegations of kickbacks, intimidation, and thuggery on taxpayer-funded building sites.
In Victoria, the CFMEU has employed delegates on work sites that have alleged links to organised crime and bikie groups.
An independent administrator, with the power to sack officials and take control of credit cards and finances, is set to be appointed to oversee the union’s construction division in states and territories other than the ACT and Western Australia.
Originally published as CFMEU withdraws Fair Work legal bid to represent Geelong council workers
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