A decision by a union representing municipal workers to ally with the notoriously militant construction union CFMEU is causing fear among taxpayers over strikes, higher wages and higher rates.
The move to represent workers who were previously members of the Australian Services Union – which has 135,000 members across the country – came via the rival Municipal and Utilities Workers Union (MUWU), which has decided to join forces with the CFMEU.
MUWU spokesperson Darren Creswell said its members have joined the CFMEU, whose Victorian Secretary of State is the controversial John Setka, because “they are a militant union”.
“That’s one of the main reasons we came across this, and one thing they’re really strong on is health and safety. And that’s the best thing about them.’
Construction union CFMEU is trying to strengthen wage negotiations for council workers in Victoria, and taxpayers fear it could lead to militancy, strikes and higher rates. Victorian Union Secretary of State John Setka is pictured with a loudspeaker
“The one thing I definitely want is for everyone to go home at the end of the day,” he said.
With this move, the CFMEU will now seek to involve itself in wage negotiations between municipal workers, such as garbage collectors and gardeners, and municipal councils.
But Dean Hurlston, the president of Council Watch, a lobbying group that exists to hold local government accountable, expressed widespread fear among taxpayers about what such a move could mean.
‘The CFMEU is notorious for driving up wages. Councils cannot afford this without major cuts to services,” Hurlston told Daily Mail Australia.
“At a time when many are questioning the value and outcomes of councils more than ever, Setka should stay away from an industry that does not need his wage negotiation tactics,” he said.
“Board CEOs are already weak at negotiating anything. Can you imagine them facing Setka, they might as well hand over the keys to the bank vault now.
“Sekta has targeted a very weak cohort and he knows it.”
Mr Setka said councils appear to be more interested in ‘gender neutral toilets’ than staffing, predicting large numbers of council workers will join the CFMEU.
“While the rest of the trade union movement disappears on its own, we are growing,” he told the newspaper. Herald Sun.
“If everyone hates us so much, how come they want to join us?
‘Many garbos, the workers, do not receive any service and see their union as just happily clapping future politicians who don’t care.’
But Australian Services Union deputy secretary Tash Wark said “the CFMEU has no place in local government”.
“The ASU is the local government union and will continue to represent the interests of all local government employees,” she said.
Mr Creswell said MUWU approached the CFMEU first, not the other way around.
‘We approached them because we had the members, but not the expertise to continue trying (negotiating with municipalities) ourselves.
“And so we approached the CFMEU and they said yes, because they had done local government in Queensland, Canberra, South Australia and Tasmania.”
He said the CFMEU responded that “if people wanted to get over it, they would be happy to do so because they just wanted everyone to be in a union because ASU just didn’t cover us.”
Mr Creswell said this was “why we started in the first place”.
“There were four people (who) started the MUWU and we just didn’t have the expertise to continue. So we thought it best at the time to get support from the CFMEU.”
He said there is a lot said about the CFMEU that is “incorrect”.
“This is the kind of thing that ASU has put out…that you would strike every two weeks…that’s just not right.”
Mr. Creswell said he has received some pushback from ASU: “But that’s OK. I can choose wherever I go.”
‘Everyone has a choice and if the choice is that we go with the CFMEU, then we will do that.’
‘The CFMEU is notorious for driving up wages. Municipalities cannot afford this without deep cuts to services,” said Council Watch chairman Dean Hurlston. The photo shows a counselor
Tanya Tescher, secretary of the Victorian Ratepayers & Residents Association, also criticized the measure.
“If the CFMEU tries to put pressure on council staff, there could be consequences,” she said.
Ms Tescher said this could lead to “demands for large wage increases (which) will have a potential impact on municipal budgets and the allocation of funds in municipal budgets, thereby affecting services provided to residents.”
Meanwhile, the ASU, which still represents the majority of the population local government officials have launched a legal battle against the planned expansion of the CFMEU.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Setka and Ms Wark for further comment.