By Sue Bolton
MELBOURNE — At a time when many workers have begun to think that there is no alternative to the corporate-style union approach of giving up working conditions for a pittance of a wage rise, one union has shown that it is possible to go against this trend.
In April the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) began industrial action for a 7.5% wage rise on a number of building sites here. The campaign involved bans and limitations as part of a national wage campaign.
By the end of May, the CFMEU had signed 120 enterprise agreements for a 7.5% wage rise with no trade-offs. By this time, the Master Builders Association (MBA) realised that it couldn't hold out and signed a similar agreement with the CFMEU without going into battle. Now the CFMEU will seek to extend the agreement to other sections of the building industry.
The wage rise with no trade-offs has really got under the skin of the employers, especially the MBA. A media campaign against the CFMEU has begun. The MBA is blaming the industrial action on former Builders Labourers Federation officials John Cummins, John Loh, John Setka and David Pillar, who began working for the CFMEU after it amalgamated with the BLF earlier this year.
Employers claimed that industrial action on building sites during April and May cost them millions of dollars in holding charges and broke target deadlines.
MBA executive Brian Morrison was quoted in the June 21 Age arguing for the union's deregistration. "If there is a continuing behaviour that is reminiscent of the BLF days, then clearly we would have no option but to seriously look at deregistration proceedings."
Premier Jeff Kennett has promised to comply with the request if provided with enough evidence of a return of the BLF.
CFMEU sources say that the MBA campaign against the ex-BLF officials has a lot to do with internal employer politics.
The MBA and the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry are trying to poach each other's members. Over the last few months, some employers have switched from the MBA to VECCI. Many of the first 120 enterprise agreements were signed with VECCI members. The MBA is most likely trying to win VECCI members over with tough anti-union talk.