Bosses ‘exploiting CFMEU vacuum’

Maritime Union of Australia leader Paddy Crumlin says CFMEU administration will have dire consequences for paid staff, officials and members.

Maritime Union of Australia national secretary Paddy Crumlin says employers are refusing to sign off on new CFMEU pay deals Picture: AAP

Maritime Union of Australia leader Paddy Crumlin says emboldened employers are refusing to sign off on new construction ­industry enterprise agreements in the wake of the CFMEU’s construction division being forced into administration.

Mr Crumlin, the MUA national secretary and CFMEU national president, said the government’s decision to force the construction division into administration would have dire consequences for staff, officials and members.

“There has been no action to replace the leadership and day-to-day management of crucial construction division functions, including site safety management and workplace organising and signing off on EBAs,” he said in a statement to members

“This in turn has emboldened employers to try to walk away from enterprise agreements which were on the cusp of being finalised.

“Clearly this is because they see an opportunity to water down pay, safety standards and workplace conditions now that the union’s core role as an uncompromising industrial and safety advocate for construction workers has been undermined by political, legislative and media ­attacks.

“As president of the federated CFMEU union, representing all of its divisions, I am deeply concerned about the practical impact of the administration on the construction division’s members, as well as the absence of dignity, procedural fairness, and humanity for sacked officials.”

He said many of the full-time officials sacked when the administrator took over the division had no allegations made about them and were lifelong, devoted workplace advocates.

“Special provisions also apply which prohibit these sacked ­officials from taking up paid employment in any other union, making it impossible for them to earn a living in line with their skills and training as industrial advocates,” he said.

Mr Crumlin said before the ­administration, the CFMEU’s maritime and construction divisions had worked closely ­together, including to deliver many worker protections, organising efforts and workplace health and safety initiatives, but the ­administration had severed the connections between the divisions.

“Safety in these dangerous workplaces isn’t delivered with a poster or a policy document; it’s enforced by worker-led vigilance against cost-cutting, unreasonable schedules, and fatigue,” he said. “This can only be achieved by a strong construction union with effective, democratic, grassroots governance structures.

“The federal government’s forced administration process has robbed members of the construction division of these effective and fundamental protections while the terms of the administration have delivered a political victory to the opposition in the LNP for their longstanding campaigns and attacks against organised ­labour.”

Regardless of “this political own goal”, he said the union ­administration needed to immediately replicate the high standards and protections for construction division members that members deserved.

In an earlier statement to Victorian construction union members, Grahame McCulloch, who has been appointed to lead the clean up of the state branch, said “any push back, delays or withdrawal from EBAs by employers will be heavily fought”.

“We will continue to fight to defend and extend members’ wages and conditions and for health and safety on the job,” he said.