Fahey bashes building union

Fahey bashes building union

By Steve Painter

SYDNEY — The minority Liberal government of NSW, under new Premier John Fahey, is preparing legal action for deregistration of the Building Workers Industrial Union (BWIU) in line with a recommendation of the Gyles royal commission into the building industry. It won't seek deregistration of the Master Builders' Association (MBA), which was also recommended by Gyles.

The government is pressing ahead with its legal action despite Gyles' admitted failure to find evidence of corrupt behaviour by the building union. He did establish improper conduct by the MBA.

It is unlikely the deregistration will succeed, but the legal battle is likely to be long and costly for both union and government. Even if the government succeeds legally, it is unlikely to be able to destroy the union, because the NSW Labor Council and the ACTU will refuse to recognise any deregistration.

Some building companies are also understood to be unhappy with the government's action, and unlikely to cooperate with deregistration.

From GLW issue 62