Union leaders warn CFMEU war puts IR bill campaign at risk

Union leaders have warned the civil war inside the CFMEU could help the Coalition get its Ensuring Integrity Bill through the Senate.

Jacqui Lambie will consider backing the Ensuring Integrity Bill. Picture: AAP.

Union leaders have expressed concern the civil war inside the CFMEU is undermining the ACTU bid to stop the Coalition’s second attempt at getting the Ensuring Integrity Bill passed by the Senate.

With federal parliament resuming next week, legal action by construction union leader Michael O'Connor against Victorian leader John Setka will be subject to a Federal Court hearing on February 11.

Mr O’Connor launched the action in January, accusing the state construction branch of “poaching” members from the manufacturing division. The state branch denies the claims.

While Mr O’Connor launched the action, union leaders blamed Mr Setka for the escalation, claiming he “forced” Mr O’Connor hand by ignoring his calls to stop poaching.

“This does not help at all in terms of Ensuring Integrity,” one senior union leader said.

“The court action makes it look like the CFMEU doesn't even follow the rules of their own union. If it does get through, Setka will be the number one target. We are trying to save his union but he's firing rocket launchers at us.”

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter on Wednesday welcomed comments by crossbencher Jacqui Lambie that she would consider backing the bill if the government supported her amendments.

Senator Lambie has held preliminary discussions with fellow crossbencher Rex Patrick about her amendments which the Coalition rejected last year after it wrongly assumed One Nation would deliver it the Senate numbers to get the bill passed.

“The government voted against my amendments last year saying they were unworkable but if they want to backflip I'd be happy to see it,” Senator Lambie said on Wednesday.

She said she would always seek to work constructively with the government and believed her amendments would protect well-behaved unions.

Mr Porter said the government remained “absolutely committed” to securing the bill’s passage through parliament.

“Senator Lambie recognises there is a problem with the behaviour in some lawbreaking registered organisations,” he said.

“Discussions with the senator and her office about the bill are continuing and I thank both her and her office for the constructive approach taken to those discussions.”

After embarrassing the government by voting down the bill last year, Pauline Hanson on Wednesday did not explicitly reiterate One Nation’s opposition.

“I haven't yet seen the updated version of the bill,” Senator Hanson said. “I'm not making any decisions until I've spoken to (fellow One Nation senator) Malcolm Roberts and met with all interested parties.”

With Centre Alliance likely to back the bill, the government needs the support of either One Nation or Senator Lambie to get it through the Senate.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said given the political focus on the “rorting” of sports grants and the fact the bushfire crisis was not over, it would look pretty bad if the government sought to pivot to the bill.

“It’s also going to make it look as though they are just all about politics rather than the needs of people so I reckon if they tried it on, it would backfire,” Ms McManus said