The CFMEU’s illegal blockade of the Emporium construction site may have come to an end, but it has threatened Melbourne’s opportunities to generate jobs and stimulate economic activity.
Images of clashes with police and protesters in balaclavas have been beamed across the nation and beyond, damaging Victoria’s reputation as an attractive place to invest.
For three weeks, the union held Victoria’s building industry to ransom through its reckless actions, which may turn businesses away from wanting to invest in building activity here.
The CFMEU said this dispute was about safety, but what they really want is power. They want to dictate who should work on building sites. And it appears they are prepared to the use the old play book tactics of intimidation to add costs and delays to building projects.
The illegal blockade has cost our community hundreds of thousands of dollars every day. And it’s not the first time we have seen action like this here in Victoria’s building industry.
In recent years, the CFMEU’s actions have caused delays or cost blowouts on massive taxpayer-funded projects such as the West Gate Bridge upgrade, the new Royal Children’s Hospital and the relocation of the Melbourne Markets to Epping.
How many other projects will they bring to a grinding halt for their own political reasons? Every Victorian could be hurt by additional costs and long delays on current and future building projects such as:
- New hospitals like Victoria’s new Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Parkville, that will help thousands of people in our community
- Upgrades for schools in our suburbs and regional towns to ensure our children get a great education
- Future transport projects, like an East West tunnel and Melbourne Metro rail line, that will improve our society’s liveability
- Improvements to our leading sporting venues like the MCG and Melbourne Park
- Offices and workplaces that will support new jobs, and
- High rise apartment buildings, which may help tackle affordable housing.
The union's unlawful actions contravened orders by the Supreme Court of Victoria, so why aren’t our nation’s politicians doing more to stop them?
Master Builders believes the CFMEU has no right to act as if it’s above the law. If you agree, then ensure your voice is also heard because it’s Victorian jobs and investment that are on the line.
Tackling the myths
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What the CFMEU said
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The truth
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| This was a safety dispute |
It was not. This was an attempt by the CFMEU to control building sites. Grocon has in fact been recognised nationally for their exemplary occupational health and safety standards.
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| This was an industrial dispute |
It was not. Grocon employees were not involved in the unlawful action. Those involved in the illegal blockade were building workers summoned by the CFMEU to engage in the unlawful action. Grocon’s employees have in fact expressed their frustration with the dispute, saying they wanted to be able to return to work.
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Grocon has done something wrong in the process of electing health and safety representatives
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Grocon has done nothing wrong. Grocon has acted according to the terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in allowing their employees to vote for their own health and safety representatives (rather than allowing the CFMEU to choose the representatives for them). Furthermore, Worksafe has endorsed the selection process of the health and safety representatives by Grocon employees.
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Grocon has bullied and intimidated employees and union members
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This allegation is completely unfounded. Grocon has acted fairly and reasonably throughout the dispute. It is in fact the CFMEU that has conducted very public acts of intimidation. Some CFMEU officials have even been suggested to have underworld links and criminal records.
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| It is their right to protest |
Everyone has the right to protest but the CFMEU conducted its protest outside the bounds of the law. This impinged on Grocon employees’ right to work.
The CFMEU’s illegal blockade of the Emporium site contravened orders of the Supreme Court of Victoria and is the subject of a pending contempt of court decision.
Building contractors must be protected from this type of illegal disruption to productivity. Grocon was forced to endure weeks of lost production at a cost of around $500,000 each day. |
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How did this happen?
The Federal Government abolished the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) this year.
Recommended by the Cole Royal Commission, the ABCC was set up to tackle lawlessness and thuggery in the building industry and ensured everyone obeyed the law.
An effective watchdog, the ABCC has been replaced with a new national body that has limited powers to investigate and prosecute illegal activity on building sites.
Victorians have seen the consequences of this policy, with the CFMEU acting as if it is above the law by imposing an illegal blockade at Grocon’s Emporium worksite in central Melbourne and other sites too.
It’s time for our nation’s leaders to take up the challenge and ensure everyone in the construction sector – from unions to workforces to employers – complies with the law.
This may mean our community has a serious discussion about these laws. After all, if it so easy to break the law without fear of punishment or penalties, surely our laws need to be changed.
The building industry needs a strong cop on the beat to ensure worksites remain free of intimidation, thuggery and corruption. It’s absolutely necessary for our industry to continue delivering the homes, offices, workplaces, factories, schools, hospitals, roads and other vital infrastructure Victorians rely on us to deliver.
And if the CFMEU isn’t willing to obey the law then it should be held accountable, even if that means the possibility of deregistration. It is imperative that its members be represented by a law-abiding and reasonable organisation rather than be subjected to rogue behaviour that shuts down building sites, regardless of the costs involved, on a whim.
What can I do?
You can support efforts to ensure the rule of law prevails on Victorian building sites. Help send Canberra a message that more needs to be done by helping us lobby for action. It will only take a minute of your time, but it could make a big difference to bringing the rule of law back to the building industry.
I'm a member of the public and want my voice heard
I'm in the building industry and want my voice heard
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