Don’t be fooled by the CFMEU

Master Builders Australia has today launched a campaign highlighting the benefits of the ABCC and Building Code 2016.

The campaign “Don’t be fooled by the CFMEU” aims to raise community awareness about some of the many benefits the ABCC and Building Code.

This campaign comes ahead of an expected attempt in the Federal Parliament this week to abolish the Building Code 2016, which was only passed by the Senate six months ago.

“We want the community to have the facts so they can’t fooled by the CFMEU,” Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said.

“Australians deserves to know that the Building Code 2016 protects construction workers’ pay and leave entitlements, improves safety standards, creates stricter rules for the use of foreign workers, and gives a better deal to small business subcontractors” she said.

“The CFMEU and other building unions also deserve to be called out for their claim that the Code will lead to more deaths on construction sites,” Denita Wawn said.

“The Department of Employment has confirmed that this claim misrepresents the safety statistics and is false” she said.[i]

“In fact, safety for construction workers is improved, pay and conditions are safeguarded, sub-contractors and local jobs are protected,” Denita Wawn said.

“Abolishing the Code would be a green light for militant building unions, particularly the CFMEU, to return to the bad old days of unlawful behaviour and intimidation,” she said.

Master Builders’ intervention comes after figures were released on Friday revealing that the courts have now imposed more than $10 million in penalties on the CFMEU for breaking the law.

“This shows why the ABCC and Building Code 2016 is essential,” Denita Wawn said.

“The CFMEU clearly does not care about spending its member’s money paying huge fines imposed by the courts for breaking the community’s laws. That’s because they think they are above the law,” she said.

“Builders want construction sites to be like normal workplaces and for taxpayers to get value for the money they spend on schools and hospitals and other community infrastructure,” Denita Wawn said.