CFMEU: Dave Noonan's address to National Conference

"Tony Abbott has no mandate to take away our members’ human rights; no mandate, to cut their wages and no mandate to make their jobs less safe," CFMEU Construction National Secretary Dave Noonan told the union's Divisional National Conference today in an address that also talked about reform in the Labor Party and proposed that union members should have a vote in the Party leadership.

Dave concluded his address pledging the Union's commitment for the next few years:

"Abbott has no mandate turn his back on Australia’s history of permanent migration. He has no mandate to sell out Australian workers by allowing employers open slather on temporary visas, with no obligation to first employ Australian workers or to train Australian apprentices.

"This means the exploitation of more 457 workers, less jobs and apprenticeships. This is a real threat to conditions that were achieved from generations of struggle.

"Unlike Tony Abbott our union keeps its promises, and we promise this:

"We will not shirk our responsibility to stand up for our member’s rights on site.

"We will not compromise on defending our member’s safety.

"We will fight to keep our wages and conditions.

"And we know we are not alone.

"Despite Tony Abbott’s attempts to demonise construction workers and their union, despite his friends’ attempts in the Murdoch media to denigrate us for our pay and conditions, we know that we have friends everywhere.

"Working people, even those not in unions, look to the CFMEU for inspiration. They like the fact that we stand up for ourselves, fight for better wages and conditions and look out for each other in a tough working environment.

"They like it because they know that each time we raise our head and take a stand, we are not just doing it for ourselves.

"They like it because they know that strong unions have the ability to not only help their own members, but to also be there for others in our community who need a hand.

"And under an Abbott government when they come after us, we will all need to reach out and help each other.

"We will need to stick together, and we will need to back those in our communities who are also doing it hard.

"It’s what we’ve always done and that’s how we’ll get through the bad times and come out on the other side of this, together, united and strong."