Contributed from Victoria

Australia’s Fair Work Commission, the body supposed to deliver fair play at work, but really brought about to counter the nation’s unions, is now pushing to target hundreds of officials of the CFMEU.  This comes in the wake of the 60 Minute’s witch hunt about supposed corruption in the union.

Whether some individuals have been involved in criminal activity is one thing. Targeting of the union is another. But no one has yet been charged and found guilty of a criminal offence. There used to be a principle that one is innocent until proven guilty. and another thing. Why has the Albanese government already moved to send its goons to take over the union, and promised a new law to facilitate this?

Photo by Joe Castro: CFMEU has a proud history of involving its members in fighting to improve the conditions in which they sell their labour

The case against the union rests on more than 1500 cases of occasions where 1100 officials, employee, delegate, and members, are alleged to have extracted more from employers than they were supposed to under the Fair Work legislation since 2003. This is what the main body of allegations against the union amounts to.

It has been suggested that there are other matters, like the acceptance of bribes. Surely, in addition to evidence of having received them, there is the matter of those who made the bribes. Shouldn’t they be hunted down with the same zeal?

Then there is the matter of the union spending money to help pay a printing bill of between $17,000 and $20,000 for the Health Services Union. At worst, this is hardly the crime of the century. If how this was done is in question, it can easily be dealt with easily enough without the drama.

The fact that no one has been charged and found guilty by the evidence of anything other than doing the work of the union, suggests that the move on the union has nothing to do with serious wrongdoing. This is a plan to strangle the union.

Instead of dealing with real criminal acts through the courts, the Albanese government has chosen to take over the union by administrative means and pave the way for doing this with new legislation. This speaks volumes about the real intent.

A union is supposed to belong to its members. If this is true, why has the voice of the members been silenced? Why are they denied the right to set things right if this is what is needed? The answer to these questions is simple enough. The union’s members generally support their leaders. And for very good reason. The CFMEU has consistently won pay and conditions that are second t none and has been the trendsetter for the whole union movement.

This is the real crime in the eyes of those intent on targeting hundreds of officials and destroying the union. The right of union members to organise and choose their leaders is being denied so pull down wages and conditions at work. They are the ultimate target.

Photo by Je Castro/AAP: CFMEU played a critical role in the battle against anti-union laws, which led to the turnout of up 200,000 workers in the streets of Melbourne and other big turnouts across the country

In dealing with the CFMEU, Anthony Albanese and his ministers are waging class war against a section of workers, knowing full well, that they are aiding and abetting employers. While this applies to the big builders and developers, the intended purpose is to use this as a launch pad to cross over to the whole workforce.

Further evidence of this is in that the Albanese’s move has been made in partnership with the major employer groups, and through the involvement of the hitmen that has been set up by the Howard government to destroy the same union. The is a revisit to the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), which is being re-established. Expect the renewal of denial of basic rights as the targeted are attacked.

Seeing the writing on the wall some time ago, the union has made its own preparations. There is a lot at stake in the outcome and the union is holding its strategy close to the chest.

That Labor should be playing this role is a disgrace. A growing chorus within its ranks and political heartland agrees. As what is really going on dawns, consternation and anger are on the rise. Unions are starting to fall in behind the CFMEU. A community campaign is emerging. Defending this union is important for all our sakes.