Thousands of tradespeople leave construction sites in ‘solidarity with CFMEU’ after 270 workers are made redundant

Thousands of tradespeople across Australia will protest from construction sites “in solidarity with the CFMEU” after 270 staff were laid off.

The coalition of unions, known as the Building Industry Group of Unions, will call on its 85,000 members in Victoria to put down their tools from 11am on Tuesday.

The unprotected industrial action will see tens of thousands of workers march in coordinated demonstrations Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Cairns.

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has issued a stern warning to those planning to protest. According to the FWO, employers are legally required to withhold at least four hours’ pay from employees who take part in unprotected strikes.

“Please note that if an employee fails to report to work or stops working without the employer’s permission, this behaviour may constitute unprotected industrial action that breaches the FW Act,” an FWO spokesperson said.

‘Any person who ‘knowingly and wilfully concerns’ himself or herself with a contravention of the FW Act shall also be deemed to have contravened that provision.

‘If an employee is involved in unprotected strikes, the employer is required under the FW Act to withhold at least four hours’ pay from the employee, even if the strikes lasted less than four hours.’

A source told the Herald Sun that the march was ‘underway’ and that the coalition of unions was angry about the way the CFMEU branch in Victoria had been treated.

Thousands of tradesmen put down their tools and walk off construction sites to demonstrate in solidarity with the beleaguered CFMEU (pictured: CFMEU union members in April 2023)

John Setka (pictured) stepped down as Secretary of the CMFEU in Victoria on July 12, 2024

They denied that bikers had infiltrated the department and said members were concerned about speculation that employers would come up with ‘golden’ CFMEU wage deals.

This came after the Victoria branch was placed into administration on August 12 following reports of bikers acting as union representatives. One of them, including a $250,000-a-year health and safety officer, was involved in the organization.

The union’s national office has now taken over executive power, dominating the state branch, after John Setka stepped down as Victoria secretary.

The move saw 11 senior union officials in the New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland branches lose their jobs, while 270 elected union officials were dismissed from unpaid positions.

Industrial Relations Minister Murray Watt reportedly recognised the right to protest, but said the CFMEU’s construction arm had been declared bankrupt regardless of any strikes.

The unprotected strike will reportedly see hundreds of tradespeople march from the city’s State Library ‘in solidarity with the CMFEU’ (pictured are construction workers in Sydney)

“Construction is hard and dangerous work, and construction workers deserve a union that is strong and effective, but also clean,” Senator Watt told the Herald Sun.

“I think this is in the interest of construction workers and the trade union movement in general.”

Senator Watt announced Sunday that he had nothing to do with Attorney General Mark Dreyfus’ decision to place the building department under receivership.

“I have had no conversation or discussion with Mark Dreyfus at all,” Senator Watt said.

“He made that decision independently, and again, he did it to make sure that these laws and decisions would hold up in court.”

Employment law expert Professor Andrew Stewart told Daily Mail Australia that CFMEU officials will continue to oversee construction sites in Victoria despite the organisation being placed into administration.

“There are no legal implications at all, unlike what would happen if the union were to be deregistered, which is unlikely at this point,” the University of Adelaide academic said.

This means the CFMEU will continue to maintain an iron grip on major projects, including the Labor government in Victoria’s $90 billion Big Build program, which includes 165 road and rail projects.