Crossbench support to extend the compulsory powers of the building industry regulator

Master Builders Australia welcomes news of support within the Senate crossbench for the bill extending the compulsory powers of Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC).

“The industry welcomes the crossbench Senators recognition of the need for the powers of the FWBC to be in place while serious consideration is given to the reestablishment of the Australian Building and Construction Commission,” Wilhelm Harnisch CEO of Master Builders Australia said.

“The building and construction industry is heartened that the crossbench senators have recognised that the behaviour of the CFMEU is outside the acceptable standards of industrial behaviour and totally out step with community standards,” he said.

“The CFMEU’s misleading attempts to portray their thuggery on building sites as normal and virtuous have hopefully been recognised by the crossbench as a deceptive façade,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.

“All Master Builders has ever called for is for construction unions to behave normally and work within the law,” he said.

“However the CFMEU’s obdurate and often violent refusal to do so, means the compulsory powers of the building industry regulator are necessary for builders, contractors and apprentices to be able to go about their work free from intimidation and coercion,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.

“Unions have rights but so does the community because in the end communities throughout Australia suffer and pay the price for industrial thuggery,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.