I'm also a union rep, and have been in a number of different unions as I didn't settle into a career/industry until my late 30s. I've always had positive interactions with the unions I've been involved with.
CMFEU VIC in strife…been a long time coming.
- Thread starter Tucker
- Start date
Tucker
Well-known member
This isnt a union bashing thread persay...Ive never had any interactions with any Unions bar the CFMEU and the ETU. They are who I am talking about and they are who this thread is about.
Other unions may well operate correctly and abide by the law.
These that I am talking about, DO NOT.
Im sure the Teachers, Nurses, First Responders, Public Service etc Workers Unions dont employ OMC members, arent run by criminals who stand over, intimidate, extort or bash workers....
These that I am talking about DO.
Builders pay these clowns off and construction sites remain pretty unsafe despite the veneer of policy implementation. ...and one thing to remember is that a death on a construction site is always a bad death., an awful death that affects a lot of people.
Other unions may well operate correctly and abide by the law.
These that I am talking about, DO NOT.
Im sure the Teachers, Nurses, First Responders, Public Service etc Workers Unions dont employ OMC members, arent run by criminals who stand over, intimidate, extort or bash workers....
These that I am talking about DO.
Builders pay these clowns off and construction sites remain pretty unsafe despite the veneer of policy implementation. ...and one thing to remember is that a death on a construction site is always a bad death., an awful death that affects a lot of people.
That's it, isn't it. Workers' health and safety should be first and foremost in unions. Not harassment and intimidation. I'm glad I haven't had any dealings like that.
Winston Churchill
Well-known member
So Winston what are you doing supporting WTs?
What an odd question, i must have hit a nerve in the Brooks thread, the real question we want to know is did you have the picanha at the latest Brooks family BBQ?
I've never found a union ACROSS multiple sectors to be anything other than a money making scheme and for some very average dolts to have some sort of perceived authority. Happy to take fees and pretend they are there for the employees, when the shit hits the fan they are extremely toothless and in the majority of the cases pretty much said too bad so sad work it out with the employer, they cant do shit. Not worth the fees for the pretence of protection to be in a union.
Tucker
Well-known member
A quick story for context...
I had an on-site incident seven years back whereby I had 4 guys in a deep trench installing a huge concrete junction pit. It was a tier 1 job site with a tier 1 head contractor and we followed all safety protocols as dictated by them and our own SWMS. Late one Friday, with the four men in the trench, a grader operator subcontracting to the Civil Contractor stuffed up and backed into the trench with his back wheels landing less than 10m from my crew.
Obviously this caused a shutdown of the jobsite and investigation....for that afternoon. Everyone was back on site the following Monday. We were all contacted by the Head Contractor on the Sunday to say the site was open and it was mandatory we all returned. I gave my boys an RDO and attended site on my own to find out what had been done. Work Cover had conducted meetings and interviews with the Head Contractor over the weekend, without representation from us, and sensing a stitchup I demanded to see their report. The Head Contractor could not locate their report and gave me the run around...i.e. so and so must have taken it and hes not on site today. I chased them for days and did not return my crew to site until the report was finally found and as you can expect, my guys caught some of the blame. By this stage I was ready to kill everyone and was looking into the legals surrounding vacating my contract when the good old CFMEU turned up at my office. I wasnt there but was told 4 of them barged in swearing and bellowing that they were going to rip my head off, that I was holding up the schedule and that the Head Contractor was very upset and looking into legal action themselves. My staff that were present were told to call me. When I wasnt answering, they were called every name under the sun and my office desk was tipped over. As they left they said "tell that F...en C..t if hes not on site tomorrow, we'll be coming to his house".
THIS is the CFMEU. THIS is how they operate in QLD and Id suspect everywhere else.
I was blacklisted. It took 21 months to land another tier 1 contract and even then, I was a subby to another contractor.
Essentially, the Head Contractor that day had made an error of judgement and pressed for time due to the early arrival of the wet season, pushed ahead with excavations in two zones simultaneously. Thats why a 20 tonne grader was working adjacent an open trench with workers inside it. The operator was in the wrong area and fell in our trench.
It came out later that my guys were investigated and found not to be in the ETU, however the grader operator was a paid up member of the CFMEU. They took sides and became the strong arm for the builder.
I spoke with political members, the cops, work safe....all gave good lip service but all did nothing. Ive looked into suing them but was warned against how expensive that would be. Just a little guy taking on the power of the construction industry, all lined up in solidarity. Ive never worked with the Head Contractor again but still have run-ins with the CFMEU to this day.
They are maggots.
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tig_prmz
Well-known member
What are they striking about today? There is a criminal enquiry into a trade union so Govt took over that. What's wrong with that?
Tucker
Well-known member
Lazy bastards mate, they’ll take any chance not to work.
twentyforty
Well-known member
Apparently it’s an unauthorised protest in the hope that the CFMEU can be saved by an 11th hour bid by Setka, Sally McManus and Tony Burke. Based on Setka resigning. More evidence that their leadership is self destructive.
