Report confirms CFMEU Administration is working but reform still needed

Civil Contractors Federation Victoria says the release of the CFMEU Administrator’s first bi-annual report shows the process is working but reforms are still needed.

Today marks six months since the Federal Court placed the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU under administration, appointing Mark Irving KC as the independent administrator in response to widespread allegations of misconduct, bullying and intimidation within the union.

“It is encouraging to see progress being made through the administrative process to restore accountability and transparency to the construction union,” CCF Victoria CEO Lisa Kinross said.

“But there is still a long path to travel to reforming the industrial relations framework that enabled the issues and allegations to arise in the first place.

“The administration has provided a structured process for addressing misconduct, giving contractors and workers greater confidence to report unacceptable behaviour without fear of retaliation and there has been a marked return of civility in the workplace.

“Civil Contractors Federation Victoria has continued to engage with the process, ensuring the voices of those directly impacted by the union’s actions are heard. However, the report highlights the scale of cultural change still required and reinforces the need for long-term regulatory reform to prevent history from repeating itself.”

Nationally, CCF has consistently advocated for reforms that protect fair competition and productivity in the construction industry, including:

• Stronger Fit and Proper Person Rules – Expanding criteria to ensure individuals banned from holding a Right of Entry permit cannot hold office in a registered organisation.
• Stopping Unlawful Enterprise Agreement Terms – Preventing agreements that force subcontractors to adopt employer terms, protecting small and regional businesses.
• Union Representation Eligibility Test – Ensuring unions can only represent employees when they have majority support at the start of bargaining.
• Ending Pattern Bargaining – Strengthening laws to ensure enterprise agreements reflect genuine negotiation, not imposed industry-wide terms.
• Improving Agreement Transparency – Requiring clear explanations of terms in both union and non-union agreements, with majority employee support for union deals.

• Fairer Government Procurement – Ensuring all enterprise agreements are Fair Work Commission-approved, removing barriers to entry for local businesses, and preventing contracts from dictating employment terms.
• Recognise Subcontractors – Genuine independent contractors undertake a legitimate form of work on construction sites and must not be discriminated against.

CCF National CEO Nicholas Proud said while industrial relations reforms may not always be a front-page issue, they remained fundamental to ensuring a stable, productive, and competitive construction sector.

“The six-month report confirms that the CFMEU administration is doing its job but this cannot be the final step,” Mr Proud said.

“With an election to be called any day, the next Federal Parliament must act to deliver meaningful, lasting change to prevent future abuses of power and create a fairer and more balanced regulatory system. “The CCF stands ready to work with both sides of politics to deliver reforms that benefit workers, businesses, and the broader economy.”

• share: