News | 18 December

The Victorian Government today released its report into the allegations of misconduct and widespread corruption, coercion, bullying, violence and industrial sabotage by the CFMEU.

The Wilson Review, led by Victorian public servant Greg Wilson, makes eight recommendations for strengthening the powers of Government bodies to better respond to allegations of criminal and other unlawful behaviour.

CCF Victoria acknowledges the Government has accepted all eight recommendations in the Report, either in full or in principle.

However, we remain concerned that on face value the Government’s Report and recommendations don’t go nearly far enough to address the core issue of physical and psychological safety of ALL civil construction workers and the overall culture of safety on civil construction worksites.

This issue is not the fault of employers. It is the system and the settings that have facilitated the ongoing bad behaviours that have allowed this “rotten culture” to grow.

CCF Victoria actively contributed to the Wilson Review. I met with Mr Wilson in October to represent the feedback and concerns of our members. We also made a comprehensive submission and 10 recommendations for change, including:

  • That the Government prioritises the physical and psychological safety of all civil construction workers;
  • That relevant workplace legislation is strengthened to restrict the scope of the union’s role and reach to its basic foundational tenets of employee safety and workers’ rights;
  • Making it a criminal offence to commit industrial sabotage on worksites;
  • Strengthening the Fit and Proper Person criteria under all applicable state workplace and industrial laws and policies;
  • Tightening whistleblower protections.

CCF Victoria will take time to unpack the detail of the Government’s Report and recommendations before considering a more comprehensive response.

Ongoing advocacy

Members, please note that this is not the end of this issue. The “rotten culture” that Premier Jacinta Allan alluded to has taken a generation to build up. It will take a generation to eradicate and we will continue to advocate on your behalf for better and physically and psychologically safer workplaces.

When this issue broke in July, we immediately launched a confidential reporting platform for contractors. This anonymous platform, Voice for Victims, remains open to all contractors to submit any incidents relating to corruption, bullying, violence, coercion and industrial sabotage.

In summary, we stand by our firm belief that this is first and foremost an issue of physical and psychological health and safety in our industry.

Keep in touch

As I say, this is far from the end of this issue and we want to hear from you. After reading the Government’s report and recommendations for yourself, email us to share your feedback: membership@ccfvic.com.au.

And keep submitting your reports to our Voice for Victims platform by clicking the button below:

Add Your Voice

Yours,

Lisa Kinross, CEO – Civil Contractors Federation Victoria

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