The two-day strike and protest at Brisbane’s CFMEU office following the High Court decision in June upholding Administration was fantastic. It was exactly the response that was needed.
But with no similar response anywhere else in the country the Administration has moved quickly to tighten its grip on the union.
Just days after the show of strength, a Brisbane delegates’ meeting was told by CFMEU union officials there would be no more strikes and that delegates would be expected to follow the new leadership, following Administration’s removal of Michael Ravbar and Jade Ingham, the elected secretary and assistant secretary, respectively.
The delegates’ acceptance of the ultimatum is an enormous setback and Administration was quick to take advantage of the retreat. Just a few days later, Dennis Mitchell, one of the Queensland officials who declared there would be no more strikes, was given the option of resigning or being sacked by the Administration. He resigned.
Since then ten other organisers have been sacked or forced to resign. It’s no coincidence that many of the officials targeted by the Administration had played a role in the Cross River Rail dispute where CFMEU members fought for weeks against the bosses, the Fair Work Commission and the AWU for a CFMEU agreement that had a real wage increase and safety protections like the heat-stress policy.
More mud thrown
Administration’s hired gun, Senior Counsel Geoffrey Watson, has produced yet another report full of unsubstantiated allegations of violence, this time into the Queensland branch.
The report again made allegations of misogyny. But it’s the Administration that has shown its contempt for women union members by sacking three women organisers in Victoria. This comes on top of the sacking of Victorian organiser Esther Van Arend in November 2024 for a verbal exchange with the mud-throwing journalist, Nick McKenzie.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has seized on the Administration’s report to announce a judicial inquiry into the CFMEU—a witch hunt that is expected to last a year. The inquiry will include investigating the CFMEU framework agreement which the Master Builders has called to be “scrapped altogether”.
The Strategic Plan announced by Administrator Mark Irving is yet another step to Administration strangling the militant culture of the CFMEU.
In particular, the proposal for national delegates training, the requirement for delegates and officers to sign an, as yet unseen, national code of conduct that they will abide by Fair Work rules and serve probationary periods to prove their loyalty to Administration, are all about attacking militant unionism and reducing the CFMEU to a totally compliant union, another AWU.
National Secretary Zach Smith has once again meekly fallen into line and announced his own 12-point plan that mimics the Administration’s Strategic Plan.
But Melbourne’s well-attended CFMEU branch meeting last month hit back. While Smith sat in silence the meeting almost unanimously carried a resolution calling for the Labor government to end Administration, lift the ban on so-called “removed persons” holding union office and hold open union elections under existing rules this year.
Another resolution called for Administration to make a full financial disclosure, something the Administration has not produced despite a legislative duty to do so.
But without action to back up the vote of condemnation, Smith and the Administration will ignore resolutions and grind on.
Going to the High Court was never going to beat Administration and waiting for the High Court’s ruling has meant the campaign against Administration has lost momentum. Some officials are again arguing that all we can do is “keep our powder dry” and re-emerge when Administration ends. But that is years away.
Organisation can’t wait. Yet another construction worker has been killed and another seriously injured on a Meriton site in NSW.
It is not too late to fight. The Crisafulli inquiry is an opportunity to cohere active opposition to Administration as it throws up a serious challenge to hard-won conditions. The strikes by Queensland teachers and nurses are an opportunity to counter the propaganda campaign against the CFMEU and build support to oppose Administration in other unions.
The fight against Administration will have to be organised independently of Administration-appointed officials. Delegates and rank-and-file activists can keep the fight alive by continuing to organise against the bosses and Administration. Every worksite and branch should carry a motion of no confidence in Smith to force him to resign from his Administration roles.
What Labor has done to the CFMEU, they can do to any union that fights the bosses. Every unionist has a reason to oppose Administration and defend the CFMEU.
By Ian Rintoul
