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A dangerous revelation has come out of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) NSW ranks, as one of the union’s organiser’s trucks was firebombed in the waning hours of the night.
In a residential area in Sydney’s south-west, an organiser from the CFMEU had their truck, boat and property targeted with acts of firebombing and vandalism. As reported by The Australian Financial Review, NSW police were called to the area following a report of a fire.
At the scene, both the organiser’s car and boat were ablaze, with the house vandalised with the words “CFMEU dog”. Police have launched an investigation into the acts, with many speculating that the actions were an attempt to intimidate the organiser.
This speculation follows serious allegations of corruption, intimidation, and blatant thuggery against the CFMEU, which led to the union being placed into administration, as fleshed out in a recent episode of The HR Leader Podcast.
“I have determined a written scheme of administration, and the general manager of the Fair Work Commission has appointed Mark Irving KC as the administrator,” announced Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus back on 23 August 2024.
“The scheme of administration of the construction and general division of the CFMEU takes effect immediately.”
Looking ahead, it seems that Irving has his work cut out for him. Touching on the incident that occurred in the south-west, Irving confirmed that police were, in fact, “taking the matter very seriously and the administration has referred this crime to the NSW Police”.
“The administration will do everything in its power to ensure all lines of inquiry are explored by responsible authorities,” said Irving, according to The Australian Financial Review.
In terms of suspects, vying off the CFMEU’s reputation, there are multiple avenues that could be explored. It’s been reported that a frustrated sub-contractor could be the cause, whereas others have assumed the union’s criminal affiliates could be lashing out, while some have argued that the fallout from the numerous corruption and bullying allegations surrounding the CFMEU could be the culprit.
As previously reported by HR Leader, Anthony Forsyth, a workplace law professor at RMIT University, touched on the impact that corrosive and toxic behaviour can have on Australia’s union movement as a whole.
“The last thing unions need is one of their own bringing the entire labour movement into disrepute and ‘trashing the union brand’,” said Forsyth.
“The allegations against the CFMEU do have the capacity to tarnish all union officials and members with negative associations in the eyes of the public. That’s why it’s so important that the ACTU and the federal government have acted decisively to confront these problems.”
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
