Menacing CFMEU attacks its own

CFMEU launches profanity-laden social media campaign against one of its former state secretaries for working as private consultant.

Former CFMEU SA secretary Aaron Cartledge. Picture: Roy Van Der Vegt

Just three days after being hit with record $428,000 fines for vilifying construction managers, the CFMEU has launched a menacing and profanity-laden social media campaign against one of its own former state secretaries for working as a private consultant in the building industry.

Members of the CFEMU’s South Australian branch secretly photographed former secretary Aaron Cartledge while he was working at a building site last Monday where he is advising ­employers and the union on their rights and responsibilities under industrial law.

A senior CFMEU unionist has posted the photos of Mr Cartledge on his Facebook page with dozens of comments labelling him a “dog”, “maggot” and “c..t” for working as a consultant for the Synergy Construct building group.

Some of the comments suggest Mr Cartledge will pay for his actions in working for the building industry. None of the authors has made any attempt to conceal their identity and several are senior CFMEU office bearers from around the country with past convictions for abusive behaviour on worksites.

The campaign against Mr Cartledge was started by the SA branch’s assistant state secretary, Desmond Taivairanga Savage, who posted two photographs of Mr Cartledge on his Facebook page.

Mr Savage wrote the following caption on the photographs: “Ex-state secretary Aaron Cartledge giving pointers on how to f..k the union to anti-union builders. Anything for a wage hey.”

The post has prompted a tirade of comments – 33 as of Friday afternoon – along the lines of “f..king germ”, “grub”, “dirty dog”, “union rat”, “filth” and “dirty rotten treacherous sellout parasite”.

One of the worst comments, which The Weekend Australian has chosen not to publish, is by ­senior CFMEU office-bearer Scott Vink and is of a sexual nature involving Mr Cartledge’s former wife.

Mr Vink is the SA CFMEU’s construction co-ordinator and was convicted in Queensland under the Fair Work Act in 2016 for harassing non-union workers using a smoko shed at a Westfield site on the Gold Coast.

Mr Vink also describes Mr Cartledge on the Facebook post as a “deadset dog”, and has an ­exchange about the treatment he deserves with another office bearer, Royce Kupsch, who is the health and safety co-ordinator for the union’s Queensland/NT branch.

“Water seeking its own level,” Mr Kupsch writes.

“And that level is going to get flushed Roycey!” Mr Vink replies.

Another CFMEU member, Peter Close, says Mr Cartledge will pay a price for working for the building company. “Someone will pick him off,” he writes.

Mr Close is a former Queensland CFMEU official who appeared before the 2014 Trade Union Governance and Corruption Royal Commission where he was accused of but denied threatening to stop cranes from operating at Sydney’s Barangaroo site.

Another office bearer who comments on the post is WA CFMEU assistant secretary Brad Upton who describes Mr Cartledge as a “f..ken grub”.

Mr Upton was convicted in 2018 for breaching industrial laws three times during a meeting with non-union workers at Chevron’s Gorgon gas project on Barrow ­Island, at which he called them “f..king dog c..ts” for leaving the union.

“If you don’t f..king like it, f..k off somewhere else. We got you these conditions, we know who you are,” he said in the altercation. We’re going to put your names on the back of the toilet doors.”

In that trial, Federal Court judge Michael Barker found Mr Upton’s intent was to menace people into supporting industrial activity and fined him $8100 and the WA branch $43,200.

The CFMEU copped record fines in the SA Federal Court last Friday over misconduct at the Adelaide Airport Watpac site in 2019.

Mr Savage was one of the key protagonists in the trial at which the SA branch and six officials ­including Mr Savage were fined $428,250 for refusing to show right-of-entry permits, ignoring directions and bullying workers on the airport job.

The fines were the latest in a string of penalties against the CFMEU and officials for right-of-entry breaches on South Australian building sites totalling $2.239m.

Mr Cartledge was sidelined as SA CFMEU secretary in 2018 after he fell foul of Victorian firebrand John Setka who labelled the SA branch “f..king bludgers” and “useless c..ts” in an explosive email sent to the union’s entire national leadership.

Since then the SA branch has become more militant and lost members as forces loyal to Mr Setka have taken hold.

Mr Cartledge would not comment on the Facebook campaign against him but has previously ­lamented the increased militancy of the SA branch, saying it is costing unionists work opportunities through its aggressive stand.

The CFMEU did not comment.