Published: 15 Jul 2024
Dear members, I am writing to inform you of a significant and unprecedented decision made by the national executive of the CFMEU this morning. The Victorian Branch will be placed into administration, and the National Office will assume all senior executive powers. This decision has not been taken lightly.
We will establish an independent process to investigate any credible allegations of wrongdoing. This is the first time in our union’s history that such an action has been taken. However, we have zero tolerance for criminality. Anyone found to have engaged in criminal conduct while representing the CFMEU will be identified and removed.
Our union exists for one purpose only: to defend and advance the safety and conditions of workers.
The Victorian Branch has been immensely successful in pursuing this purpose. I want to pay tribute to John Setka for his incredible achievements as Victorian secretary. He is a legend of our union who leaves an enormous legacy. However, recent allegations are serious and demand a thorough response.
While we address these allegations, it is essential to recognise that smearing officials and delegates based on their histories or personal relationships is completely unwarranted. Cancel culture will never be our culture.
Our union has always believed in second chances, and we continue to believe in second chances. We will never tear down an official who is doing a good job for construction workers simply because they are seen as unsavoury by people who have never set foot on a site.
We will never turn our backs on people who want to help workers, regardless of their past. Our union has countless stories of delegates and members who have turned their lives around and made invaluable contributions to workers, the industry, and the wider community.
Our union operates in a tough industry where people are injured or killed every week and where shonky developers and contractors are often allowed to run rampant. We know that big business and their political backers will always hate our union because they think blue-collar Australian workers don’t deserve decent pay or robust safety standards. We stand firm in our commitment to protecting and advancing the rights and safety of all our members.
In solidarity, Zach Smith