Maritime Union Teams Up with CFMEU in Legal Fight Against Forced Administration
The MUA expresses that any criminal elements within the CFMEU should have been addressed by the relevant authorities rather than imposing administration on the union.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) will be participating in a High Court challenge alongside the Construction, Forestry, Maritime and Energy Union (CFMEU) regarding the federal government’s decision to place the CFMEU into administration.
On August 23, the construction union was placed under administration due to various controversies, including alleged connections to organized crime and motorcycle gangs.
In response to Labour distancing itself from the CFMEU and the passing of laws in parliament to enable action against the group, 270 union officers, mostly volunteers, were removed from their positions.
The MUA issued a statement on September 5 denouncing any criminal involvement within unions but emphasizing that such concerns should have been handled by the appropriate authorities rather than resorting to administration.
The MUA leadership highlighted the negative impact of the administration on ongoing Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs) and the message it sends to unethical employers who compromise the safety of construction workers.
Additionally, they raised concerns in a meeting regarding the legislation passed in parliament, stating that it undermined the rights of construction workers and disregarded fundamental democratic principles of presumption of innocence and due process.
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The MUA’s support for the CFMEU’s fight against administration aims to restore the union and prevent similar measures from being imposed on other unions.
They stated, “Our division remains deeply troubled by the legislative actions taken by the federal government to revoke trade union rights based on unverified media allegations.”
“We are also worried that future legislation could be used by governments to target other vibrant blue-collar unions, including the MUA.”
The CFMEU initiated its legal challenge on September 3.
The government has been increasingly concerned about criminal ties in the construction industry, especially in recent times.
The proposed Criminal Organisations Control Amendment Bill also prohibits the display of club logos and signs in public.
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes announced, “Police will be authorized to press charges against individuals who are current members of specified criminal organizations if they are found at a Victorian worksite.”
Currently, the CFMEU is under the administration of Victorian barrister Mark Irving KC.
