The Government's commitment to addressing criminal elements within the CFMEU is the first step to put better measures in place to address reprehensible behaviour in the construction sector, Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Australian Industry Group, said today.
"Removing criminality from the union movement is only the very least that must be done. The actions promised by the Government must be fast and thoroughly implemented to restore a modicum of confidence in the construction sector," Mr Willox said.
"We urgently need further measures to address the thuggish, standover and highly inappropriate behaviours that have been evident in the construction sector for quite some time. The problem has been an open secret that has been tolerated for far too long.
"A commitment to addressing the disgraceful evidence of criminal conduct in the CFMEU through supporting the appointment of administers to the union must only be the first step in much broader action to both address this crisis, and to ensure that the complete failure of the workplace relations system to prevent such abuse of power by a union can never occur again.
"Any suggestion that the CFMEU or the broader union movement could be left to address this shameful situation through internal review was never realistic.
"Sadly, as shocking as the reports of the last few days have been to many Australians, all too little of what has emerged is a surprise to anyone with the remotest interest in the construction sector or industrial relations in Australia. Businesses have reported they have been subjected for years to intimidation and coercion by criminal elements fostered by the CFMEU.
"It is clear that this is a sector that cannot fix itself. We still need an independent regulator that has the right powers to deal with the coercion and wildly inappropriate behaviour that has become embedded in Australian construction.
"We need to look at whether there are sufficient measures under our workplace laws to ensure the situation is not only addressed but never repeated.
"Unions, and union delegates, have been given a raft of new powers and rights under Labor's recent changes to workplace laws. The events of recent days show that we need to make sure that they are going to be used responsibly. The new powers have understandably caused enormous concern to businesses in the construction supply chain.
"Only a judicial inquiry at the least can provide the proper scrutiny.
"At a practical level, questions still remain about what is going on at construction sites right now and what measures are being put in place to make sure workers and businesses are immediately protected.
"The Government needs to work with industry, existing regulatory bodies and other key stakeholders to develop a meaningful response to the current disgraceful situation," Mr Willox said.
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