Hearings continue into union misconduct; Mark Irving to give evidence
Yesterday we heard evidence of a deliberate campaign to remove the Australian Workers Union from civilian construction sites to emulate what the CFMEU’s Victorian branch achieved under disgraced former boss John Setka.
The man brought in to investigate the violence at the Queensland branch of the CFMEU is Geoffrey Watson.Credit: Rob Homer
Researcher Geoffrey Watson SC told inquest Hostilities between the union and the AWU, its main rival on major infrastructure projects, were an issue of economic importance for the entire country.
Watson said the problems escalate as the state invests in major infrastructure projects – tunnels, railways, things that would normally fall under the AWU’s purview.
“If there is one union that covers all of these areas, they are given much, much more authority in these negotiations. You can imagine the pressure that would be put on scarce labor resources here.” [in Queensland] “As the Olympics approach.”
Watson was also questioned about some of the incidents included in his 45-page report on violence at the CFMEU. Violence in the Centenary Bridge and Cross River Railroad areasAnd misogyny.
