CFMEU: Dave Noonan Statement

Statement from National Secretary Dave Noonan

The CFMEU acts in the interests of workers in the construction industry at all times.

Our officials work hard to recover millions of dollars in pay and entitlements for workers every year.

The vast majority of our officials are hardworking people who are dedicated to improving the lives of construction workers.

If the leadership of the CFMEU is made aware of improper, illegal, corrupt or criminal activity by any official of the union, we act immediately. The union has terminated the employment of officials who have engaged in such activity in the past. We would not hesitate to do so in the future, if warranted.

There are many challenges in our industry, chief among them being health and safety, non payment of wages, phoenix companies and the insecure nature of employment in Labour Hire.

It is on the public record that the CFMEU has battled these challenges industrially and politically in the interests of our members.

We are deeply concerned about any criminal activity in the industry where hundreds of thousands of people work and it is also on the public record that we have called on anyone with information about such activity to go to the police and for the police to investigate.

The CFMEU is not the corporate regulator to approve which individuals and which companies can and cannot operate in the industry nor are we the body that can investigate criminal matters. These are issues for ASIC and the police force and we have consistently called on them to do their job.

The CFMEU has adopted new governance rules for our officials which have been ratified recently.

The governance rules clearly set out the responsibilities of officers of the union in disclosing any material interest or remuneration that they receive in relation to their position.

Any officer who is in a position of decision making relating to the union’s finances must undergo training in the next six months.

These rules apply to all branches of the union both nationally and in every state.

Some branches already have a Code of Conduct in place and we are currently coordinating a Code of Conduct across the national union in every branch.

Any breaches of these rules are treated very seriously and dealt with pursuant to the rules of the union.