The Labor Careerists Wrecking Australia’s Construction Union

Australia’s entire political establishment has turned on the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU). Following the “Building Bad” investigative report into alleged union links with organized crime, Anthony Albanese’s Labor government rushed legislation through parliament, effectively allowing the government to seize control of the union.

In late August, a team of government-appointed administrators took over the union. They immediately sacked hundreds of officials and organizers, and unilaterally canceled union elections and branch meetings.

In September, tens of thousands of CFMEU building workers across the country responded, walking off the job to protest the attack on their union. They were joined by thousands more members of other blue-collar unions.

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 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.

In light of this revelation, it’s worth taking a closer look at what the CFMEU’s administration involves, who the administrators actually are, and why seemingly every powerful person in Australia wants the union gutted.

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