Message from the Executive

Brothers and sisters,

These past few months our union has faced unprecedented attacks from politicians, bosses and the media. Politicians who have never stepped onto a construction site have overwhelmingly stripped away our union’s democracy.

The Federal Government has forced the construction and general division of the CFMEU into administration, undermining our democratic rights as union members to control our own future. Fundamental principles of natural justice, democracy and the rule of law have been thrown aside by the Federal Government. The government has removed 270 of our democratically elected leaders with the stroke of a pen – this is an affront to Australian democracy.

As National Secretary of our union, I now have one goal, and that is to get us out of administration as quickly as possible and reinstate our democracy. Until then, I will fight to continue to advance your wages, your conditions and your safety, and ensure that your interests are put front and centre of every single decision that gets made.

The Government and the bosses don’t like that we are a militant union that bargains for good wages and conditions. They think a union should just ask the boss nicely for a pay rise, and do nothing when they say no. That will never be our union.

Now more than ever, we must stand together.

The bosses are trying to undermine our wages and conditions. They are trying to take away union members’ rights to have a say in their own workplace. Bosses are trying to undermine wages on site and roll back conditions, including attacking RDOs.

We will not let them. Our union will stand up and fight back.

We cannot do this alone. Our union is powerful because we stand together, and we live by the principles of solidarity. Members, now is the time to be proactive in your union. Talk to your colleagues about the importance of being paid up and proud. Work with your delegates and HSRs to make sure your workplace is safe and 100% union. We will show the bosses and the politicians the collective strength of the CFMEU.

It’s also just as important that we don’t stop speaking out about big picture issues. Bosses and politicians would love nothing more than for us to sit down and shut-up. But we won’t be silent.

Our Union has a proud history of being at the forefront of nation-defining change. It was the stonemasons who won the eight-hour day in 1856. It was the BLF who championed the green bans. The forerunner to our union saved low-income housing and protected our national heritage. Our union led the charge to ban asbestos.

From July 1 this year, thanks to the campaign our union led to stop this killer stone, Australia has now banned the use, importation and manufacture of engineered stone, which is a world first. Because of the CFMEU, more than 100,000 workers won’t needlessly die from silicosis caused by engineered stone. If we had left it up to the politicians or the AWU – who like to claim credit after the fact – this would never have happened. That is why it is so important we keep up this fight.

I won’t sugar coat it – we are facing the greatest challenge in our unions’ history. This will not be easy. The bosses would love for us to give up and quit. But in the 170-year history of Australian construction unions, nothing was ever won easily.

WE WILL STAND TOGETHER NOW BECAUSE WE ARE THE CFMEU!