‘A modern-day mafia operation’: Calls to deregister CFMEU grow louder

More allegations have been plastered against the infamous CFMEU, leading to a Victorian Police operation looking into the union’s dealings.

A recent 60 Minutes piece uncovered new allegations of intimidation, corruption, and violence against women throughout the Victorian construction sector, involving members from the Construction, Forestry, and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU), spurring calls for the union to be deregistered.

During the piece by 60 Minutes, it was alleged that over 100 members of the CFMEU were receiving direct payments from taxpayer dollars through intimidation and corruption. On top of this, multiple allegations were brought forward showing instances of violence against women, featuring acts of physical assault, intimidation, and the negligence of victims.

Within the episode, senior barrister Geoffrey Watson SC described the union’s dealings as a “cancer spread” across the Victorian construction sector.

Back on 23 August 2024, the union’s construction arm was placed in administration, with Mark Irving KC being named as the administrator. Irving was tasked with investigating the allegations of corruption, bullying, and lawlessness at the union and, from there, re-establishing the union from the ground up.

Yet despite these changes and the unpacking of the numerous allegations within the union, the 60 Minutes episode highlighted that the CFMEU is still shrouded with links to bikie gangs.

Since the episode’s release, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced that a police operation would be conducted, investigating the new allegations of organised crime and corruption throughout Victorian worksites – and the alarming allegations of violence against women.

“What we saw last night with further revelations and information was again shocking and completely unacceptable,” said Allan via the ABC.

“All workers deserve the right to a safe workplace, and I was absolutely sickened to my core to see that footage of an allegation of a woman being assaulted and the experience of other women on worksites here in Victoria.

“This is wrong. This is not right, and my thoughts are with those women who have had these awful, awful, devastating experiences.”

Potential deregistration

Peter Dutton, Leader of the Opposition, offered scathing remarks towards the CFMEU and the lack of action from the Albanese government – labelling the union as a “modern-day mafia operation”.

“The CFMEU is a modern-day mafia operation. The culture of criminality and corruption is so entrenched, and it will never change – especially under the weak and incompetent Albanese Labor government,” said Dutton.

“You cannot trust Anthony Albanese to stand up to his union mates. A Labor-Greens minority government will only embolden the CFMEU’s lawless behaviour. Our country just cannot afford three more years of Labor’s weakness and inaction.”

Shadow minister for industrial relations Michaelia Cash said: “Australians are sick of the government’s protection racket of this militant union which continues to break the law.”

“The CFMEU needs to be immediately deregistered, and those involved in law-breaking should be blocked from becoming union officials ever again.”

“The chaos, violence, and lawlessness in the construction sector lies solely at the feet of Anthony Albanese because of his catastrophic decision to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission.”

“The fact is that Labor won’t stand up to the CFMEU because Labor has been the beneficiary of over $11.5 million in financial and election campaign support from the CFMEU since Anthony Albanese became the Labor Party leader.”

Cash labelled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as “weak”, claiming that he is “beholden” to the CFMEU, noting that an elected Dutton government would implement the following:

• Introduce new offences that will allow police to target groups that engage in a pattern of criminal behaviour. These offences will be based on the highly effective mafia takedown laws in the US.
• Crack down on corruption and organised crime in the construction industry by establishing an Australian Federal Police (AFP)-led taskforce bringing together Commonwealth law enforcement agencies and state and territory police forces.
• Immediately introduce legislation to deregister the militant construction division of the CFMEU instead of wasting time with an impotent and bureaucratic administration process.
• Reinstate the Australian Building and Construction Commission with increased powers, increase penalties for breaches of the Fair Work Act, and tighten the fit and proper person test for right of entry onto worksites and holding office in a registered organisation.

Master Builders Australia chief executive Denita Wawn said: “Enough is enough,” claiming the Albanese government’s administration of the CFMEU cannot be relied upon to fix the “abhorrent” allegations.

“Last night, we saw another exposé into the operations and organised crime links within the CFMEU. How many more reports of disgustingly corrupt, unlawful, and violent behaviour must people see before something meaningful and lasting is done? Enough is enough,” said Wawn.

“The Albanese government cannot rely on the administration alone to fix this abhorrent and alleged criminal behaviour that we have seen displayed over the past nine months.”

According to Wawn, the industrial relations system within the building and construction sector is “broken”, and law enforcement lacks the adequate resources to fix it.

“There have been four royal commissions, hundreds of court judgments, and dozens of other reports and independent inquiries that forensically examined the unlawful and illegal conduct of building unions,” said Wawn.

“They all reached the same conclusion – there are problems unique to building and construction, and therefore, there is a need for an industry-specific workplace regulator or specific rules for the industry.

“Taxpayers and consumers ultimately pay the price through higher construction costs.”

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.