Workers march down Lake St in defiance of government’s national CFMEU crackdown
A large crowd of fired-up construction worker union members in have marched on the office of a Labor senator chanting anti-government slogans as part of a national day of action.
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A large crowd of fired-up construction worker union members joined a national day of action to march through the streets of Cairns chanting anti-government slogans in defiance of a national CFMEU crackdown.
Up to 200 members of the union paraded down Lake St, waving banners, before pausing at Senator Nita Green’s office to protest the federal government’s passing of new laws to send the construction branch of the CFMEU into administration.
About 280 CFMEU officials, including 21 in Queensland led by state secretary Michael Ravbar, were sacked.
The Cairns march coincided with major protest disruptions in cities across the country, including Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Sydney.
CFMEU members working at tier one government construction sites such as the Cairns Hospital’s mental health unit and JCU’s Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre walked off the job to take part in nationwide industrial action.
The Cairns “Hands off the CFMEU” protest was supported by the Electrical Trades Union, whose Far North organiser Rob Hill led the march.
Mr Hill claimed that on the strength of a 60 Minutes report exposing an alleged criminal movement in ranks the Victorian CFMEU, “archaic” legislation now threatens to “destroy” the Australian union movement.
An investigation by Nine newspapers last month claimed underworld figures had infiltrated the Victorian arm of the CFMEU.
“Not one charge has been laid against the CFMEU, not one charge, not one skerrick of evidence,” he said.
“Yet they’re apparently so bad you got to tip the whole organisation that represents 120,000 workers in this country, out on the table.
“We know that the banks were charging dead people, they didn’t put them into administration.
“We know that the Catholic Church has done horrible things, they didn’t put them into administration.
“You can be a rapist, a pedophile, a murderer and still be entitled to the presumption of innocence.
“I have literally never been more betrayed as a worker in my life.”
Ms Green, who was not in her Lake St office at the time of the protest, became the focus of union member anger following a landmark federal government decision to place the embattled construction and general division of the union into administration last Friday.
The union plans to launch a High Court challenge to the federal government’s decision as part of a campaign starting Tuesday.
The show of defiance temporarily shut down one lane of Lake St in Cairns.
Police blocked one lane of the busy city street to protect protesters from passing traffic as the crowd filled out into the road.
In an interview after his speech Mr Hill said despite Labor being born out of the union movement, the party now was “ashamed” to be a part of the movement.
“This is just drawing the line in the sand that they are enemies,” he said.
“This is 10 times worse than anything that the Liberals have introduced, and it’s kicked the door open for the Liberals when they get back in power to go harder again.
“(New legislation) is about destroying collectivism, destroying their voice.
“That’s why they’re passionate, that’s why they’re not going to let up on this.”
The union organiser wouldn’t be drawn on whether criminality had made its way into Far North construction unions following the Victorian CFMEU branch being hit with organised crime allegations.
“If there’s criminality it should be dealt with by the law,” he said.
“Is there ex-criminals that work in construction, probably... but if they have paid their debt they’re entitled to earn a living for their family.”
In response to Tuesday’s industrial action Senator Nita Green made a brief statement.
“We support the people to make peaceful protests and by all accounts it was a peaceful protest and that’s a good thing,” she said.
Premier Steven Miles said the CFMEU had a right to protest, but noted Queensland’s construction sites had for too long had incidents of violence and intimidation.
“That’s why the Australian government has acted by appointing an administrator to the state registered entity. We passed those laws last week,” he said.
“We want to see construction workers in Queensland have a strong trade union that keeps them safe and delivers fair wages and conditions for them.
“But we want to see one that operates legally and without the kind of bullying and intimidation that we’ve seen recently.”
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