Major construction unions set to campaign against Labor in key seats
Construction industry unions are set to campaign against Labor candidates in key seats amid a push to establish a rival trade union body as they lash out over the Albanese government’s call to put the CFMEU into administration.
Victoria
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Building industry unions fuming about the Albanese government’s decision to put the CFMEU into administration are preparing to campaign against Labor candidates in key seats.
Leaders of the unions, which represent 23 sectors including electrical, plumbing and manufacturing, have agreed to meet in December and form a game plan as to how to break away from the Australian Council of Trade Unions — the training ground for Labor legends such as Bob Hawke — to establish their own advocacy group.
As part of the push to set up a rival trade union body, they will discuss proposals for “political, industry and social campaigns to support union democracy”.
This includes where to direct political funding “including supporting union political candidates”.
The move could see a massive shake-up in the influence on ALP political candidates in the future.
The National Building Industry Group of Unions is leading the renegade split from the ACTU, and its members include 250,000 workers from the Electrical Trades Union, the country’s plumbing unions, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, all of which are aligned with the CFMEU.
The powerful unions were the organisers of the two major national rallies held in support for the CFMEU in August and September, bringing Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane CBD’s to a standstill with tens of thousands of protesters.
The CFMEU was put into administration by the Albanese government after revelations the union had been infiltrated by bikies and underworld figures.
An investigation by a corruption-busting barrister found that kickbacks were allegedly used to secure union deals and that the CFMEU operated in a cycle of lawlessness and had “lost control”.
Despite this, unions aligned with the militant CFMEU were outraged at administrators being called in because of the precedent they said it set for other members of the labour movement.
They took aim at ACTU bosses, including Sally McManus, saying they had backed the tough action.
An ACTU spokesperson said: “The Australian union movement is focused on preventing Peter Dutton from taking away the life-changing pay rises and new rights that working people have won”.
A statement issued following a meeting of building industry unions in Melbourne on Wednesday said: “against the backdrop of anti-union attitudes, this meeting resolves to collectively fight against these underhanded attacks and to work to protect our union democracy”.
“The forced administration, driven by (Anthony) Albanese, Murray Watt and Tony Burke, and supported by the ACTU, has opened the door for sustained attacks on construction workers,” it says.
The group has resolved to hold the Trade Unions for Democracy Summit in Melbourne on December 9.
Originally published as Major construction unions set to campaign against Labor in key seats
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