Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Casey for his question and for his ongoing interest in this subject. Last month there were reports in the media that workers on a building site in Melbourne were docked four hours pay after they stopped work to take a collection for the widow of a deceased colleague. At the time, it was claimed by the union concerned, the CFMEU, that this had occurred due to Work Choices. This matter was investigated by the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner who, after his investigation, issued a determination on the matter.

What the commissioner found about this case was interesting. He found that the CFMEU site representative and the CFMEU organiser had both attempted to manoeuvre the employer, Hooker Cockram, and other contractors into a position where they were obliged to deduct four hours pay. He found that the CFMEU site representative engaged in unlawful industrial action and that the CFMEU organiser aided and abetted the contravention by this representative—in other words, this report of the Building and Construction Commissioner found that the CFMEU had shamelessly manipulated the workers concerned. That is what an independent report found.

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