The latest reports that senior CFMEU officials allegedly received free building materials, and have links to criminal networks are of grave concern, Minister for Employment Senator Eric Abetz said today.
The reports also allege links between a Victorian CFMEU official and the Black Uhlans outlaw motorcycle gang and kickbacks paid by developers to finance a visit to Australia by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.
“These further reports should concern all honest union members around Australia,” Senator Abetz said.
Senator Abetz said as a matter of urgency three things needed to occur.
“Firstly the Australian Council of Trade Unions should take the same approach that it took to the HSU saga and suspend the CFMEU from the Council until these matters are satisfactorily resolved,” Senator Abetz said.
“Secondly, the Opposition leader Bill Shorten and the ALP must stop their protection racket of dodgy union bosses and distance the Party from the CFMEU by refusing their funding and involvement at Party forums.
“And most importantly, the Labor-Green alliance needs to support the Government’s legislation to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission.”
Senator Abetz said the latest allegations clearly show that urgent action must be taken to introduce these new laws to deal with dodgy union bosses and clean up the building industry.
“It is no coincidence that the loudest voice opposed to our clear plan to stamp out corruption has been the CFMEU,” Senator Abetz said.
“Mr Shorten and the Greens have a clear choice – either they can support the interests of honest workers everywhere who want clean unions and a clean building industry, or they can support the agenda of dodgy union bosses who want nothing to change.“Never before have the interests of the union bosses been so different from those of union members.”