Federal intervention into alleged criminal behaviour within the CFMEU will be effective and proportionate, a Labor senator says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Following reports of criminal behaviour and bikie links within the union, the federal government is poised to announce steps for an overhaul of the body.
Labor senator Tim Ayres said the allegations against the union were shameful and steps to deal with the issue would be announced shortly by Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke.
"Tony and the team in there are doing the careful work of making sure that the government's response is effective, well-weighted and effective," he told ABC TV on Wednesday.
"Everybody in the Albanese government is absolutely appalled by what we've seen. Unions are there to look after their members."
It comes as NSW Premier Chris Minns asked the state's Labor general secretary to suspend its affiliation with the CFMEU following corruption claims.
Senator Ayres said calls from state governments to distance state Labor branches from the CFMEU would be dealt with by the national executive of the party.
"Along with everybody in the government ... we have high expectations of the role of unions in workplaces, and this conduct is absolutely appalling," he said.
"While I don't forecast the debates in terms of the national executive, we have received these requests from the premiers, we will act upon them, and we'll act in accordance with the requests from the premiers."
The CFMEU's national office has already placed its Victorian and South Australian branches into administration and launched its own investigation.
While the CFMEU allegations have prompted opposition calls for the rebirth of the construction industry watchdog, experts have warned it won't fix alleged misbehaviour.
The Australian Building and Construction Commission was responsible for enforcing workplace relations compliance in the building and construction sector, meaning it dealt with unlawful strikes, picketing and issues relating to right of entry for union officials.
But resurrecting the watchdog would not resolve issues within the union, says Professor Anthony Forsyth from the RMIT's business and law school.
"Bringing it back wouldn't really address this situation directly because it doesn't have any powers to deal with criminal behaviour - that's predominantly the preserve of state and federal police," he said.
"Maybe it would be seen as a visible regulator of industrial misbehaviour, but it wouldn't be able to touch any of the misconduct that's been alleged in relation to the CFMEU over the last few days."
The coalition has also urged the government to deregister the union, but Prof Forsyth says this would run into similar issues.
Grounds for deregistration involve industrial misconduct like breaches, awards, agreements or injunctions relating to unlawful industrial action or entry onto a building site, rather than alleged criminal misconduct.
Deregistration would also give rise to "pretty significant consequences" and create uncertainty over the awards and agreements the union had in place.
Australian Associated Press
