Brace for impact: Militant CFMEU strikes could de-rail peak hour commuters
The messy divorce between Labor and the CFMEU could result in a week of strike action which threatens to shut down construction on critical transport infrastructure and de-rail peak hour travel.
NSW
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The messy divorce between Labor and the CFMEU could shut down construction on critical transport infrastructure this week, with the state government preparing for a potential wave of “disruption” from the militant construction union.
Premier Chris Minns is also bracing for a week of strike action which threatens to de-rail peak hour travel on Sydney’s Light Rail causing headaches for commuters.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the government has picked up “intelligence” suggesting the rogue construction union is preparing to use workplace health and safety laws to shut down work on crucial projects, potentially including the Western Sydney Airport Metro line.
“We are expecting that they will potentially use WHS laws (to cause disruption),” a senior government source told The Daily Telegraph.
The source said the government is “stepping up contingency planning on a whole bunch of scenarios” to avoid work being shut down.
There is also an expectation among Labor sources that rogue union members will rally outside Labor’s state conference this weekend in protest at being kicked out of the major party gathering.
The intelligence comes a day after The Sunday Telegraph revealed an explosive email sent from embattled CFMEU NSW Secretary Darren Greenfield to Premier Chris Minns, in which the union boss threatened to reveal names of ministers and MPs who he had met before the election.
Mr Greenfield was charged in 2021 with accepting a series of bribes from a construction company. His son Michael Greenfield was also charged with bribery offences. The matter is before the courts and both men have denied wrongdoing.
Labor’s national executive on Thursday severed ties with the CFMEU’s construction division in four states, including NSW, following allegations that organised crime figures had infiltrated the organisation. The union defiantly pushed back against moves to put an administrator in place.
Mr Minns pushed for the NSW arm to be booted from Labor after Nine newspapers published a photo purportedly showing one of the alleged bribes taking place, in 2020.
The NSW Opposition called on the Premier to refer the letter and its allegations to the Independent Commission Against Corruption and demand he release the details of any meeting had with the CFMEU boss prior to the election.
It is understood Mr Minns has not met with Mr Greenfield since he became Labor leader.
Opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Natalie Ward said there needed to be complete transparency regarding agreements struck with the union over wage deals.
“We need to know what deals were done, what handshakes, what promises were made prior to the election that have to be paid back now,” she said.
Since taking office, ministers have declared 10 separate meetings with the CFMEU, relating to various matters including reforms to workplace entitlements. A government spokesman said most of the meetings were not with Mr Greenfield’s construction wing. The ministers are not accused of wrongdoing.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) will add to Sydney’s industrial headache, announcing two-hour stoppages on all light rail lines during the morning and evening peaks. Some services will run at reduced frequency while others will not run at all.
The strike action is due to a breakdown in negotiations between the RTBU and operator Transdev.
“Transdev was supposed to supply us with a pay increase schedule at the beginning of the week but what we’ve been given is worse off than the previous offer,” RTBU Tram and Bus division secretary David Babineau said.
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