BY CHRIS SLEE
MELBOURNE — In a combined mass meeting on October 24, 10,000 construction unionists have decided not to cooperate with the royal commission into the industry set up by the federal government and have backed a united industrial strategy against what they claim is a "witch-hunt" and a "political exercise by the conservative forces".
While media were ejected from the meeting during debate, reports from unionists indicate that the official resolution was strengthened from the floor to state that no construction union would give evidence at the commission and that the fining or jailing of any official or member would be met by a total industry shutdown.
The strategy will also include a defence fund levy of $20 on every construction industry worker every six months over the next 18 months, to pay for publicity and legal expenses. The unions will be represented before the commission by the Victorian Trades Hall Council.
Before media were asked to leave, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union's state secretary, Martin Kingham, told the meeting "the commission [is] not interested in the unions' request to include the bosses' work practices and poor safety record in scope of the investigations".
The assistant national secretary of the union's construction division, Alex Bukarica, warned members of what happened to workers in New South Wales after the Giles Royal Commission into the industry a decade ago.
"Within six weeks that commission stopped looking at corruption and became a Productivity Commission which cost the union $3 million then and resulted in workers losing $100 to $150 per week in lost redundancy and site allowances", Bukarica said. "This commission has the same terms of references and the same agenda".
The meeting also heard from a visiting Colombian trade unionist about the repression in that country, including the murder of 3000 union activists over the past 15 years. A minutes' silence was observed and a collection taken up to assist the work of Colombian unions.
Members leaving the meeting were adamant that the commission is not going to stop the union organising.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, Russell Pickering reports that a small but spirited rally by construction unionists protested the October 22 start of royal commission hearings in the city.
Union leaders, representatives of various community organisations and Ansett workers and trade unionists spoke in defence of the CFMEU's long record of support for community struggles and its opposition to corruption in the building industry.
Speakers included John Robertson, the secretary of the NSW Labor Council, Paul Bastian, the state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and Maurie O'Sullivan, state secretary of the Public Service Association, who called the government's inquiry a "commission of crucifixion".
Organisers of the rally said follow-up action will be taken, including pulling workers off work sites across the city if necessary.