Union boss calls on ACTU to oppose miners

CFMEU leader says a mining division chief should ‘hang his head in shame’ over ­secret talks with Christian Porter over union laws.

CFMEU leader Christy Cain. Picture: AAP

CFMEU leader Christy Cain has urged the ACTU to publicly oppose miners splitting from the union, saying mining division chief Tony Maher should “hang his head in shame” for holding ­secret talks with Christian Porter about the Coalition’s union demerger laws.

A day after mining division delegates resolved to break away from the union, Mr Cain said the ramifications of the split for the union movement were “just horrendous” as Mr Maher had “paved the way” with the Industrial Relations Minister to demerge unions.

The Australian revealed last December that Mr Maher held talks with Mr Porter about the proposed laws, subsequently passed, to allow the break-up of amalgamated unions.

“I am totally disgusted in the events that have occurred and it certainly has massive ramifi­cations for the trade union movement when one part of the union goes to the Liberal Party to discuss a demerger bill without talking to the rest of the union or the ACTU,” Mr Cain said.

“Maher’s got his view. I’ve got my view but I think he should hang his head in shame.”

Tony Maher.

Attorney-General Christian Porter. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Mr Cain, who is likely to be the union’s next national secretary if rule changes are endorsed by officials, said the ACTU “should step up” and oppose the break-up of the union. “They should actually come out and make a statement that it isn’t in any union’s best interests to go and support a demerger of the superunion, especially the most militant, progressive union in this country,” he said.

The ACTU refused to comment on Mr Cain’s call while Mr Maher hit back, saying his talks with Mr Porter were authorised and directed by the division’s central council, which was “fed up and wanted the option of an independent future”.

“Our future is now in the hands of mining and energy members and we don’t need the permission of any other division,” he said.

“The construction division’s behaviour and treatment of the manufacturing division is well known and speaks for itself. Mining and energy members are more than capable of making decisions in their own interests and those decisions are not the business of Christy Cain or anyone else.”

Mr Cain said he attended every meeting of the union’s national executive and claims the construction division stood over smaller divisions were “absolutely rubbish”.

While there was a “small” demarcation dispute between construction and manufacturing “which was very close to being fixed”, “they have never been bullied, never been stood over … in fact, it’s totally the opposite”.

“Maritime workers and construction workers have stood on picket lines, put thousands of dollars in to support those picket lines, and we’ll continue to do that. We’re about bringing the union together, not destroying it or doing things that Porter and co would love to do,” he said.

Mr Cain said he had offered to address the mining division’s central council but never received a reply. “The mail back from the rank and file is they want to hear both sides of the story. A lot of them don’t know what’s going on and would like to hear both sides of the story. It’s not a money issue. We have never wanted to take over their pits. We have never wanted to take over their lodges. Never wanted to take any of their money. We have certainly helped them along the way and they have helped us,” he said.

He defended the conduct of the union’s construction division Victorian secretary John Setka, claiming “he’s probably one of the greatest trade unionists in this country … everyone knows that”.