Federal parliament’s decision to pass legislation designed to interfere with which workers the CFMEU represents could set a dangerous precedent, the union warns.
The bill, which passed the Senate on Tuesday, will allow the CFMEU’s manufacturing division to hold a ballot on leaving the powerful construction union.
The bill restores Coalition-era powers to undermine unions and singles out the CFMEU to allow a ballot after the manufacturing division’s multiple failed legal attempts to do so.
CFMEU National Secretary Zach Smith said:
“Union coverage should not be decided by governments or legislation.
“It’s incredibly disappointing the federal government pushed ahead with a bill that could set a dangerous precedent for breaking up unions.
“The Liberals’ enthusiastic support for this terrible piece of legislation should have been a massive red flag about its dangers to workers.
“What does it say when Michaelia Cash, who was one of Australia’s most aggressively anti-worker industrial relations ministers, is backing a Labor government on this?
“The CFMEU will never apologise for being a strong militant trade union that delivers industry-leading pay rises and wins world-first safety campaigns, like the engineered stone ban that came into place yesterday.
“The construction union is by far best placed to represent construction supply chain workers, whose best interests cannot be served by a small organisation facing financial ruin.”
