CFMEU clean-up not ‘attack’ on workers

The government’s CFMEU Bill is not “an attack on construction”, Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt said after it passed the Senate on Monday with support from the opposition.

The Bill includes a series of measures aimed at cleaning up the embattled union following reports last month of endemic corruption and links to criminal gangs in its construction arm.

“It’s a targeted focus on the construction division of the CFMEU … but I would completely disagree this is an attack on construction workers,” Mr Watt told ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday.

“Construction workers and members of the CFMEU construction division have been let down by the leaders … It’s about rebuilding the union, getting back its focus on representing the interests of its members.”

The stalled legislation passed the Senate with 39 yes and 10 no votes after the government conceded to the Coalition’s demands to increase the minimum administration term to three years, plus conditions for the administrator to report to parliament every six months and attend senate estimates.

While there will not be a legislated ban on the CFMEU making political donations while under administration, Coalition workplace spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said on Monday she had received assurances from Mr Watt that safeguards would be put in place.

Its passage has been hailed as a “critical first step of cleaning up the CFMEU” by the Master Builders Association.

“The industry has been at a standstill with a great cloud of uncertainty on the current operating environment and the future of the CFMEU,” the peak body’s chief executive Denita Wawn said.

“We thank the government and Coalition for working in a bipartisan way to reach an agreement on a series of amendments while not delaying the Bill’s passage beyond this sitting period.

“Our members are intimately familiar with the ingrained culture of lawlessness and thuggery that has plagued the sector for decades.”

But Ms Wawn called for more to be done to protect businesses needing to come forward to the Fair Work Commission.

“The federal government must now move to establish a dedicated building and construction industry watchdog with real teeth,” she said.

“If we don’t learn from history, we will be doomed to repeat it.”

Not all see the government’s action on the CFMEU as a win – the Greens have made clear they vehemently oppose the legislation, exchanging fiery barbs with fellow politicians across the senate floor on Monday.

Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather aired his views on X, condemning the legislation as the “most draconian, anti-worker laws this country has seen”.

“Corruption, sexism and intimidation should be strongly opposed & prosecuted through the courts,” he said.

“But Labor/Libs have used the cover of unproven allegations to crush a union, & override the rule of law.”

More to come