News

The CFMEU has welcomed a decision by the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions not to pursue charges against Queensland official, Andrew Sutherland over an industrial issue from three years ago. The union also renewed calls for the Government to stop wasting police resources over purely industrial matters.

The CFMEU condemns the Federal Government for falling asleep at the wheel and putting the lives of the community at risk. Back in May last year, the CFMEU raised serious concerns aboutthe lack of Government regulation over the use of imported and unsafe building products which do not meet our Australian Standards.

A unit fire in Melbourne’s Lacrosse building exposed the issue of deadly imported aluminium cladding with a plastic core being misused in high rise buildings in breach of the building code.

Workers in Newcastle will rally today at 1pm at the Tomago smelter following news that yet another vessel crewed by locals is leaving the Australian coast.

The 16 Australian crew onboard the CSL Melbourne, chartered by Pacific Aluminium, have been told in the past 24 hours that all of the jobs will be lost when they sail the vessel to Singapore.

The CSL Melbourne has been running alumina between Newcastle and Gladstone for the past five years but these jobs will go after the company received a temporary licence from the Turnbull Government in the past month.

Ask yourself this; would you expect to be charged without any evidence against you? The case before the Federal Court in Perth against 101 workers charged with attending a union meeting has descended into a complete farce according to Mick Buchan, Secretary of the CFMEU WA Construction Branch.

Just prior to Christmas, 5 workers had their cases withdrawn due to ‘lack of evidence.' Now that number has increased by a further 28 cases to a total of 33, presumably also due to lack of evidence. No apology or explanation has been offered by either Nigel Hadgkiss or his lawyers.‘

The CFMEU welcomed the decision of the Turnbull Government to bury the final report of Abbott's Royal Commission into Trade Unions by releasing it in the dying days of 2015.
National Construction Secretary Dave Noonan said that comments by Tony Abbott and former Workplace Minister Eric Abetz in today's media where they discuss the outcome of the report before its release, proves the overt political bias of the Commission.

15 October 2015, 2:17pm Michael O'Connor, CFMEU National Secretary Michael O'Connor, CFMEU National Secretary

5 October 2015, 8:22am 

The CFMEU has revealed a shock decision made in the final few weeks of the Abbott Government that has put the future of the Maryvale paper mill - a major Latrobe Valley employer - at risk.
Under a policy that had been in place for five years, all Federal government departments were to be required to procure 100% recycled paper this year.
But the policy was dramatically scrapped in one of the last acts of the Abbott Government - just before the requirement to purchase recycled paper was meant to come into effect.

The announcement by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton regarding the availability of 1500 Work and Holiday visas (Subclass 462) has made a mockery of Malcolm Turnbull's promise of a "new and consultative" Government, the CFMEU said today.

Peter Dutton has announced that some 1500 visas were offered to Chinese Nationals between the ages of 18-30 under a program negotiated under the China Australia Free Trade (ChAFTA) deal.

The move will eventually allow 5000 young Chinese into the country at a time when youth unemployment is close to 14 per cent.

The Abbott Government – through its partisan building industry watchdog, the FWBC - is pursuing the CFMEU at a four day trial starting in Adelaide today, for going onto a work site to conduct an EBA ballot and assist a worker at risk of suicide.

CFMEU National Construction Secretary, Dave Noonan said the Government was conducting a taxpayer-funded assault on union and workers' rights, which he has dubbed "lawfare".

6/08/2015

With Australia’s unemployment rising to 6.3 per cent – the highest it has been since 2002 – the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union says the jobless rate will worsen under a China Australia Free Trade Agreement.

“The China Australia Free Trade Agreement contains unprecedented provisions that sell out Australian workers,” CFMEU National Secretary Michael O’Connor said.

“Under the Agreement, Chinese companies will be able to bring in their own workers on projects worth as little as $150 million (down from $2 billion).