‘Tired of being a punching bag’: CFMEU national boss Zach Smith quits national leadership role

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith will step away from the position, saying he was tired of being the “punching bag” for decisions made by the union administrator.

CFMEU National boss Zach Smith will step away from the national leadership role, with sources saying he is “not copping” the mud being slung at him by the administrator.

Mr Smith told union delegates on Thursday that he would stay on as the Victorian Branch Secretary.

Sources told the Herald Sun that Mr Smith had been discussing the move with the big build union groups in recent weeks, saying he was tired of being the “punching bag” and would no longer try to enforce the decisions made by the union administrator, Mark Irving.

CFMEU Victorian secretary Zach Smith is stepping away from his national leadership role. Picture: Aaron Francis

Sources pointed out to the Herald Sun that Victoria’s CFMEU membership is 36,000, more than all the other states together, meaning Mr Smith would still hold a powerful role nationally, but will no longer have to take the hits publicly.

Mr Smith is one of the few remaining elected officials at the CFMEU, which had state branches put into administration last year.

Earlier this year he held a meeting of 500 delegates in Victoria where he had been under pressure from those aligned with some dumped officials and executives.

At the time, Mr Smith was accused of being a patsy for the administrator, Mark Irving, and had gathered shop stewards to rally the troops and vote on a “new direction for the union”.

The new direction was aimed at drawing “a line in the sand against violence against women, corruption and criminality”.

Mr Smith said at the time that “corruption and people operating in their own interests damages our union and its members”.

Originally published as ‘Tired of being a punching bag’: CFMEU national boss Zach Smith quits national leadership role