Image: ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said the suspension will last until the CFMEU can demonstrate it is "clean" and "free of any criminal elements" (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has suspended the construction and divisions of CFMEU following Nine Network’s disturbing revelations of the union’s criminal conduct and bikie links.
The Federal Government has also announced that an external administrator will be appointed to take control of CFMEU operations.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke called the allegations “abhorrent” and “intolerable”, but has said he would not take steps to deregister the union.
“If we simply went down the deregistration path, we would have an organisation still capable of bargaining and doing the entire business model that we have been seeing reported over recent days with no layer of regulation or additional oversight that applies to registered organisations,” he said.
Ahead of the revelations, Victorian union boss John Setka stepped down.
The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) is one of Australia’s largest unions, representing more than 130,000 workers. It has national, state and territory branches.
The union also regularly donates to the Labor Party at a federal and state level, donating $3.4 million to Federal Labor in the 2021/22 financial year.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, NSW Premier Chris Minns said the revelations of the union’s misconduct were “appalling”.
“There is absolutely no tolerance for criminal or corrupt behaviour in the building industry, in unions or anywhere for that matter,” said Minns.
“It is clear the CFMEU Construction & General Division will not and cannot clean itself up,” he continued.
“Given the serious nature of the allegations, we have written to the NSW Labor Party General Secretary and asked they take the necessary steps to immediately suspend the CFMEU Construction and General Division’s affiliation from the NSW Labor Party and stop any donations or affiliation fees.”
