Tradies walk off Big Build sites, take to Melbourne streets in second CFMEU solidarity rally

As thousands of tradies walked off Big Build sites and hit Melbourne CBD streets in a second major CFMEU solidarity rally, the federal Industrial Relations Minister has said the clean-up of the militant union isn’t about “punishing” members.

Federal Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has issued a message to construction workers, saying a clean-up of its militant union is not “political” or about “punishing” members.

It comes as thousands of tradies took to Melbourne CBD streets in support of the CFMEU and a key union leader declared “there has never been a better union boss than John Setka”.

Workers from a range of unions including the Electrical Trades Union and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union marched through Melbourne on Wednesday, pledging to “fight back” against the Albanese government’s CFMEU crackdown.

In a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, Senator Watt said Labor wanted the CFMEU to put forward the interests of workers.

Hordes of tradies march in Melbourne. Picture: Getty Images

CFMEU Victorian secretary Zach Smith addresses thousands of construction workers. Picture: Aaron Francis

He said the government would not tolerate employers seeking to use the administration period to deunionise, walk away from deals, cut safety standards, wages or conditions.

“Let me be very clear — our action, the strongest open to us, is not about punishing workers or members of the CFMEU,” he said. “Quite the opposite.”

“The truth is we need a major reset in Australia’s construction industry, and we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do it.

“We need to fundamentally change the culture of this industry.”

Senator Watt said the Melbourne rally was primarily about an EBA dispute, rather than the CFMEU being in administration.

Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt says the CFMEU clean-up is not political. Picture: Martin Ollman

He said administrator Mark Irving had met with the Fair Work Commission to get EBAs through “as quickly as possible”, while making sure that all the requirements were met.

“Construction work is hard, dangerous work and we will back construction workers to have fair conditions and a strong and effective union,” Senator Watt said.

“But we will not back corruption, criminality, intimidation and violence and we will take action when allegations of this conduct arise.”

Mr Watt said findings by anti-corruption barrister Geoffrey Watson that bikies and underworld figures remained on Big Build sites, revealed by the Herald Sun this week, were disturbing.

He said he was not concerned about the political implications of the government’s action against the CFMEU after one rally attendee, a lifelong Labor voter, said he would not support the party at the next election.

“We haven’t done this because we’ve made some political calculation about what’s in our interests,” Senator Watt said.

“I’m sure there will be some people who support it and some who oppose it but it’s worth pointing out that the vast majority of unions in Australia support this union being cleaned up.”

Opposition workplace relations spokeswoman, Michaelia Cash, said 72-hour strikes would come with a huge economic cost to Victorians and the nation.

Senator Cash blasted Senator Watt and Anthony Albanese for not condemning the unprotected action.

“It is a catastrophic failure of the Albanese Government with these strikes now costing taxpayers millions of dollars and further delaying construction of vital infrastructure projects, like hospitals and roads,” she said.

The massive crowd marches through Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Aaron Francis

Protesters chant ‘f--k Albo’

Protesters, who downed tools on government-backed Big Build sites, gathered outside the Trades Hall building in Carlton about 10.30am.

The crowd started moving towards Flagstaff Gardens shortly before 11.30am.

Loud chants of “everywhere we go” and “when the CFMEU is under attack, fight back” rang out from the crowd.

Individual chants of “f--k the administrators” and “f--k Albo” were also heard.

The rally shut a block of the CBD from La Trobe St between Russell and King streets.

Tradies rally in Melbourne to support the CFMEU. Picture: David Crosling

The rally shut down parts of the CBD. Picture: David Crosling

Aerial vision of the protest. Picture: 9News

Thousands of construction workers take part. Picture: Aaron Francis

Addressing the crowd, Electrical Trades Union Victoria state secretary Troy Gray doubled-down on his support for former CFMEU Victorian boss John Setka.

“There has never been a better union boss than John Setka,” Mr Gray said.

“Crowd sizes like this make politicians very nervous.

“We are here today to say this industry is not going non-union... the wages and conditions of 60,000 workers are not going backwards.”

Mr Gray railed against politicians for allegedly trying to stop workers receiving better pay.

“The same politicians that fist pumped the air when they put the CFMEU into administration just gave themselves a pay rise,” he said.

“Most of them wouldn’t last a week (on site).”

Electrical Trades Union Victoria state secretary Troy Gray. Picture Aaron Francis

Protesters show their support for the CFMEU. Picture: Aaron Francis

Mr Gray threatened a third, multi-day strike if Enterprise Bargaining Agreements were torn up.

“We will call for a third rally, and that rally will be on a Wednesday, and we will call for a 72 hour stoppage,” Mr Gray said.

“If you wanna f--k with us, we will f--k with you.”

Mr Gray also put construction firms responsible for huge Big Build projects on notice.

“We draw a line in the sand to Laing O’Rourke, to John Holland, to Acciona,” he said.

“We will make an example of the first employer who wants to take on 80000 construction workers.

“Your scalp will be ours I promise you that.”

Wednesday’s rally is the second in less than a month. Picture: Aaron Francis

The intersection of Victoria and Lygon streets is closed to traffic. Picture: David Crosling

Construction workers turn out in their hundreds. Picture: David Crosling

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith. Aaron Francis

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said the line in the sand campaign was aimed at politicians and businesses not being allowed to “use” union difficulties to tear up Enterprise Bargaining Agreements.

“It means that we are not going to let any employer use administration to take wages and conditions backwards,” Mr Smith said.

“Politicians and parliament will not take our working conditions back either.

“That’s what the line in the sand is about.”

It is the second major rally to be held in Melbourne in support of the CFMEU since the scandal-plagued union was placed into was placed into administration following allegations it had been infiltrated by bikies.

Many protesters wore T-shirts sporting now-familiar slogans such as “Line in the sand” and “God forgives but the CFMEU doesn’t”.

Several of the workers gathering ahead of Wednesday’s rally could be seen sporting Metro Tunnel high vis gear.

The $16bn project is one of several Big Build operations expected to be seriously disrupted by the demonstration.

Organisers were hoping to attract a similar crowd size to the 60,000 how showed up on the August 27 rally.