ACTU – Hand-picked Nigel Hadgkiss Resigns

Turnbull and Cash’s hand-picked, ideological cop, Nigel Hadgkiss, resigns
13 September 2017

Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) boss Nigel Hadgkiss has resigned after he admitted to spending two years breaking the law in pursuit of the anti-worker ideological agenda his political masters paid him over $420,000 a year to enact.

The ABCC boss has admitted breaching section 503 of the Fair Work Act over a two year period by recklessly misrepresenting the rights of union officials. 

Mr Hadgkiss’s resignation is a win for workers.

Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:

• “Mr Hadgkiss obeyed the dictates of his political masters, Prime Minister Turnbull and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, through ongoing attacks against working people and in the end he not only stepped over the line he set up camp there for two years.”
• “As head of the ABCC, he oversaw a draconian and authoritarian body that breached Australia’s international obligations, persecuted workers and stripped away the right of silence from ordinary hard working Australians. “
• “Mr Hadgkiss was an important part of the Turnbull Government’s anti-worker agenda. He was the Turnbull Government’s hand-picked, ideological cop who was given enormous licence to go after working people.”
• “Working people will rightly enjoy the professional demise of a person who has made no secret of his agenda to reduce their working conditions.”
• “Mr Hadgkiss was Minister Cash’s champion in her fight against working people.   That the Minister today, of all days, praised Mr Hadgkiss for “restoring the rule of law”, while systematically acting unlawfully for two years, demonstrates that the minister not only has a radical anti-worker agenda but that this resignation is entirely about limiting further damage to a government in chaos.”
• “The Turnbull Government should take this opportunity to disband the ABCC and restore Australia to being a “one law for all” nation.

The CFMEU has welcomed the resignation of the head of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, Nigel Hadgkiss.

• The union yesterday called for his resignation after it succeeded in the Federal Court in having the head of the Turnbull Government’s ABCC admit to a reckless breach of the laws he oversees.
• Hadgkiss admitted to a contravention of section 503 of the Fair Work Act in relation to the ABCC’s publication of incorrect information about right of entry rules.
• “Nigel Hadgkiss is anti-workers and his departure will be welcomed by our members.
• “However, the real villain here is the Turnbull Government’s ABCC laws, which remain in place.
• “These laws strip away basic protections from construction workers and are only there for the benefit of big builders and property developers. Since the laws were in place, safety on construction sites has worsened.”