Construction and maritime union leaders have declared they are open to further mergers as they move towards finalising the creation of a 125,000-member super-union next year. Source: The Australian
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding for the merger, which is likely to be approved by members in the first half of next year.
In a joint interview with The Australian, CFMEU national secretary Michael O’Connor and MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin criticised the plan by Employment Minister Michaelia Cash to introduce laws early next year subjecting union mergers to a public interest test.
Describing the proposal as “ridiculous’’, Mr Crumlin said Senator Cash was bringing Australia’s economic and political reputation into disrepute by treating trade unions as scapegoats.
“It’s going to be a new union,” he said. “Part of the reason we needed to build a new union is there is a lot of adversarial stuff out there, a lot of anti-unionism, there is a political ideology in this country that’s pervasive and actively offensive against trade union rights.”
Mr O’Connor said the merger would pass the proposed public interest test.
“I would like to know if the registration of the Liberal Party would pass the public interest test these days,” he said. “She wants to make sure we can’t wear stickers on hard hats. That’s her contribution to public life.”
Mr O’Connor said his union would look at more mergers on their merits and would consider supporting them if it advanced the interests of members.
Mr Crumlin said further mergers were the “way forward as long as you meet the criteria of good governance”.
“I’m happy to talk to anyone,” he said. Senator Cash has said the “disturbing history” of the CFMEU and MUA meant the merger was a threat to jobs, while the construction industry has expressed concern the amalgamation would result in “double the militancy”.
While acknowledging the CFMEU was “militant”, Mr O’Connor said he would prefer to use a “football expression” to describe the union’s approach.
“We make no apology, we run straight at the ball and we’re hard at it,’’ he said. “We give our all for our members and we don’t care if it’s an employer, a government, we don’t care if it’s any political party, even one we’re associated with, if they attempt to diminish the living standards of our members, threaten our job security, undermine the wellbeing of communities that rely on our jobs, then we are hard at it.”
Under the proposed structure, the MUA would become the fourth division of the CFMEU.
The Textile, Clothing, and Footwear Union of Australia, which is also merging with the CFMEU, will operate within the forestry and furnishing trades division.
Mr O’Connor will be national secretary of the new union while Mr Crumlin, who is president of the International Transport Workers Federation, will be the new international president. Tony Maher will be national president while Dave Noonan will be national assistant secretary.
