Big Build site bosses urged to dob in Setka to police after Metro Tunnel visit

Bosses on Victoria’s Big Build sites have been told to call police if John Setka trespasses again, after the former CFMEU boss gained access to two projects without approval from builders or the Allan government.

Site bosses on Victoria’s Big Build have been told to call police if John Setka trespasses again, as the former CFMEU boss continues to snub his nose at workplace laws and the government.

Mr Setka gained access to one of the $14bn Metro Tunnel sites on Thursday morning, despite having no right of entry permit or union accreditation.

It followed his visit to the Footscray Hospital site on Wednesday where he launched a vicious tirade against Labor and senior federal ministers.

Mr Setka resigned as state secretary of the powerful Victorian branch of the CFMEU in July, following allegations the union was involved in kickbacks for jobs and coercion on building sites, and had links to underworld figures — some of whom were delegates.

In recent days the controversial former state secretary, who has often said he would break laws if they were “bad”, has been revving up union troops over the Commonwealth decision to place the CFMEU into administration.

John Setka resigned as state secretary of the powerful Victorian branch of the CFMEU in July. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The decision to put the union into administration means non-union officials will oversee its activities for at least three years, in what government ministers say is a bid to clean up a “rotten culture” within the CFMEU.

Mr Setka claims he resigned with an assurance from senior Labor figures the union would not be put into administration — claims denied by the government.

The Herald Sun has spoken to workers at major taxpayer-funded building sites after the Footscray Hospital and Metro Tunnel appearances, both of which were illegal because he did not have a right of entry permit.

They say senior site managers had asked what they should do if Mr Setka arrived at their job, and were told to call the police because he would be trespassing.

Premier Jacinta Allan said police were investigating the Footscray Hospital incident, and urged Mr Setka to stop touring taxpayer-funded projects.

“In terms of the incidents yesterday and today, I have been advised that John Secta’s attendance on those work sites was unlawful,” the Premier said.

“It was unlawful, and as a result, the Director-General (of the Big Build, Kevin Devlin) has referred this matter to Victoria Police for further investigation.

“My message to John Setka is there is no place for him on Victorian government Big Build worksites and that is because Victorian construction deserve the best representation from their union.”

Ms Allan also confirmed Mr Devlin had written to Big Build contractors to remind them of “government expectations” about managing access to work sites.

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The Footscray Hospital site had been controlled by the union under Mr Setka, and had the CFMEU had dictated which subcontractors and suppliers were used by construction giant Multiplex.

Since the Commonwealth appointed an administrator, which Mr Setka alleges Labor promised not to do if he resigned as state secretary, union organisers have continued to have a presence on Victorian sites.

But a spokesman for the builder said the embattled former union boss was not invited on to the site by the company, and it was now assessing how he got an entry permit.

“Multiplex was not aware of and did not authorise any appearance by John Setka on the new Footscray Hospital site,” they said. “He has now left site and we are investigating how he gained access.”

An investigation has been launched into John Setka’s rev-up speech at the Footscray Hospital site. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

After more than eight hours a state government spokesman released a statement saying: “We have asked the lead contractor for an explanation and sought assurances this does not happen again”.

“We thank the tens of thousands of hard working construction workers who are delivering the projects our state needs. We are working with the federal government and getting on with stamping out this rotten culture.”

Mr Setka declined to comment on why he was at the site, but took aim online at reports he had taken a paid job with union-linked mortgage broker Dreamstreet and was spruiking the company’s interests.

A spokesman for the new union Administration said Mr Setka had resigned from the CFMEU and “does not represent the union” but any potential conflicts would be assessed during its tenure.

Setka declined to comment why he was at the hospital on Wednesday. Picture: TikTok/user85831710

“Part of the role of the Administration is to investigate fraud and misuse of members’ money, and that remit can extend to current and former CFMEU officials,” they said.

Shortly after news broke that the former CFMEU leader had addressed members on site broke, Premier Jacinta Allan held a press conference at the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub in the northwest of the city but declined to comment on the matter because she hadn’t been briefed.

“I’m not going to presume if those workers that I met this morning are members of a union, but if they are, they deserve the strongest and best union representation, and that is why we’ve taken the action we have at a state level, working again in support with the Federal Labor government in terms of stamping out the rotten culture that has been exposed.

“In terms of the incident that has occurred on the Footscray site this morning, given I’ve not been briefed … I’m not going to give comment.”

Ms Allan went on to defend the role of unions but said clean leadership was essential.

“Unions play a really important role in supporting workers to go work every single day, to come home safely and to have good conditions,” Ms Allan said.

“But where elements of the union, as we have seen, have behaved against those principles, then we need to stamp out that rotten culture.”