News | 15 July

Civil Contractors Federation Victoria (CCFV) is appalled by the alleged misconduct of the CFMEU and its leadership.

As the peak body for civil construction, we are calling for an urgent independent investigation into the CFMEU by all appropriate agencies, beyond ‘referring matters’ to police and the Anti-Corruption Commission, including separate investigations into the union’s activities such as the Fair Work Ombudsman and the ACCC.

For the good of the industry and public interest, we are recommending:

  • All reports of any investigations are released in full to the public. This includes the CFMEU-appointed administrator’s eventual report of its investigation.
  • The State and Commonwealth governments reprioritise the ongoing protection of workers on civil construction sites across Victoria, regardless of whether worksites are public or private projects. This extends to Whistleblower protections.
  • Industry and government come together to implement suitable measures to ensure anti-competitive behaviour is proactively prevented.

“We continue to advocate for every contractor, every labourer, every worker having every right to a safe workplace free from physical and mental harm,” CCF Vic CEO Lisa Kinross said.

“Construction is one of the single biggest parts of our economy and the knowledge of alleged organised crime entrenched in taxpayer-funded public infrastructure programs, such as Victoria’s Big Build, is of significant concern.

“We welcome the initial responses from the State and Commonwealth Governments in condemning this behaviour, but equally we expect that these matters are investigated to the fullest extent.

“As an Employer Association, we have an obligation to our members and our industry. We continue to advocate for the physical and psychosocial safety of all workers within Victoria’s civil construction industry.

“CCFV’s values include: Service, Care, Collaboration and Integrity; this means always doing the right thing even when no one is looking,” Ms Kinross said.

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