Leaked figures show that the CFMEU Administrator and his staff appointed by Labor are gorging themselves at the expense of construction workers.
Administrator Mark Irving is known to be on a total salary package of $643,640 a year—paid for by members’ union dues.
Now figures leaked to Defend the Unions, Defend the CFMEU in Melbourne show how other Labor-aligned administration bureaucrats are also benefitting.
Between 23 August and the end of September, 11 administration staff including Irving snapped up $188,000 including super. More than $164,000 in salaries went to just seven people.
Rank-and-file Victorian CFMEU member Tristan said, “The ALP government said administration was necessary to make the union function in the interests of members.
“How is spending so much on administrators in our interests? This money should be going to organising, not unaccountable bureaucrats.”
The leaked figures indicate how much senior staff, most aligned with Labor or the ACTU, are likely to be receiving.
Alison Currie (Irving’s chief of staff, a former PwC partner and chief of staff to Bill Shorten who has also worked for Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas and former Premiers Dan Andrews and John Brumby)—estimated annual salary, $321,240.
Michael Flinn (deputy chief of staff, a former Head of Special Projects at the ACTU and close ally of Sally McManus)—$330,873.
Michael McIver (a now departed national lawyer for the administrator)—$268,739.
Clancy Dobbyn (a former communications manager at the CFMEU and member of the Socialist Left faction of the Labor Party)—$194,796.
Salaries like this are far above what even the most highly paid of unionised construction workers receive.
Alex Sproule, a rank-and-file Victorian CFMEU member, said, “The incredible costs borne by rank-and-file members of the CFMEU to pay for the administration weakens our ability to organise.
“The administration has created a culture of fear: fear to speak up about our employment condition, which will help facilitate wage theft by dodgy employers; fear to stand up for our fellow workers by standing for democratically elected positions like shop stewards or health and safety representatives; and fear to speak by threatening ordinary working people with life shattering fines if they dare to question where their union dues are going.
“But we are not afraid. We know the true danger to our family comes from a construction industry where we have no voice.”
Tim Gooden, Defend the Unions, Defend the CFMEU spokesperson, said, “A completely unaccountable bureaucracy being paid these kinds of exorbitant salaries cannot be trusted to represent the interests of rank-and-file construction workers.”
Meanwhile, “adviser firm” and accountants KordaMentha are being paid an unknown amount of members’ money to conduct a forensic audit of the union and examine “risk”.
Given KordaMentha’s expertise in “restructuring”, the worry is that they are doing the groundwork for an overhaul of the union, one that could destroy democratic structures.
If the CFMEU is gutted, the whole union movement is at risk. Now is the time for construction workers to walk out in defence of their EBAs and to demand an end to administration.
Workers everywhere must organise in solidarity with that fight.
