When Labor PM Anthony Albanese seized control of Australia’s construction union, he claimed to be acting in union members’ interests. But leaked documents show that Labor’s handpicked administrators are paying themselves a fortune — with union members’ money.
  • eureka@aussie.zoneEnglish
    4·
    3 days ago

    Honestly, with news like that the title doesn’t do it justice (as appropriate as it is). I’d pick something more like “Labor Party members revealed as corrupt union gang”, or “ALP loots hundreds of thousands from CFMEU”.

    Labor has justified suspending industrial law and union democracy, claiming that the appointed CFMEU administrators are independent and acting in the best interests of union members. However, documents leaked to Jacobin by the “Defend the Unions, Defend the CFMEU” rank and file group directly contradict these claims. According to payroll documents covering the period between August 1 and September 30 this year, the bulk of CFMEU administrators are career Labor Party operatives. Administration started in mid-August, and for roughly one month, they paid themselves over $170,000, taken directly from union coffers.

  • No1@aussie.zone
    4·
    3 days ago

    Interesting read. Couple of snippets:

    Labor’s legislation means that a democratically elected workplace delegate with no ties whatsoever to organized crime can now be legally and permanently forbidden from taking official part in any industrial negotiation.

    and…

    when the minister for employment and workplace relations is making decisions about the CFMEU administration, they are “not required to observe any requirements of the natural justice hearing rule.” Labor’s legislation also protects the CFMEU administrators from possible future civil action.