"The latest reported allegations against the CFMEU are alarming and serious and define a union that has no place in Australian workplaces," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Australian Industry Group, said today.
"The disturbing allegations go to the relationship between organised crime and a union that is central to the delivery of billions of dollars of key national infrastructure, including that which will be crucial to our future economic success and the reaching of our 2050 net zero goals.
"Billions of dollars in taxpayers' money has been wasted over decades due to the antics of the CFMEU.
"While the scale of the latest reports is alarming, little of what has been reported will be a surprise to businesses large and small in the construction sector, who have long been forced to work under intimidation and the threat of reprisal if they did not bend to the CFMEU's will.
"The allegations require federal and state governments to immediately audit the role of the union on taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects and to remove union officials with criminal organisation links.
"Co-ordinated federal and state police investigations should begin immediately. Consideration of deregistration of the union should not be off the table.
"Given the union's appalling record in the courts over many years with millions of dollars of fines for illegal behaviour, at the very least the federal government needs to establish a judicial inquiry or royal commission into the allegations and the union’s activities across Australia.
"Also, the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) should be immediately reinstated as the required watchdog of the construction industry, with its previous full powers put in place.
"The argument supporting the abolition of the ABCC that the construction industry should not be treated differently to any other industry looks more untenable than ever. Those who supported its abolition should hang their heads in shame.
"It is again obvious from the reports many of the union’s officials along with the bulk of construction workers who turn up every day to proudly do their job are appalled at the growing links between their union and organised crime.
"All Australians are paying more for inflated construction costs driven by a union that looks to be running amok. The time to call it to account is now.
"We would ask that Mr Burke makes the advice he has sought from his departmental secretary public," Mr Willox said.
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