Crisis meetings after construction workers clash at CFMEU headquarters

Victoria’s building industry is in crisis as riot police shut down a major city street amid unprecedented protests at the construction union’s head office, with windows smashed and projectiles thrown at senior officials.

The union, builders and senior Andrews government officials were locked in meetings on Monday night to stop the building sector from grinding to a halt, with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union threatening to walk off major projects if a compromise couldn’t be reached.

CFMEU boss John Setka talks to construction workers before clashes broke out on Monday.Credit:AAP

On Monday the CFMEU had demanded eight hours’ pay for six hours’ work as it fought back against a ban on tea rooms and mandatory vaccinations in the industry. The six-hour proposal would include no breaks and was put forward by the union as a compromise position to keep working.

However, the proposal was rejected by large builders and one industry source said it would significantly reduce output of workers at projects where some builders worked 12-hour shifts, which would add to time and cost blowouts on government projects.

The move also infuriated some building workers who walked off CBD sites angry at the lack of breaks and the union’s response to pandemic measures.

Over the course of Monday, hundreds of protestors rallied outside the CFMEU’s Elizabeth street office in a crowd that included a mix of construction workers, far-right activists and people opposed to COVID-19 vaccines.

The protests lasted much of Monday until the riot police arrived late in the day.

Fluoro-clad protestors had earlier pelted the construction union office with plastic bottles, a plastic crate and smashed windows.

One flyer distributed to members stated “our rights and conditions are under threat, there is a core group of members within union delegates and within members who believe this attack on our conditions and rights should not be allowed.”

“We will no longer sit in the dark, this is our union, our city and we will take it back if need be.”

The protests at the union office quickly grew on Monday, with attacks on both the union leadership and the state government.

Members threatened to burn their union tickets and directed abuse at CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka, who addressed the crowd, but was shouted down.

“F--k you Setka you rat,” one protestor said. Others called the union leadership “f--king dogs’, “f--k you c--ts”.

Mr Setka said last week that while he and other industry leaders were “all for vaccination”, workers should have a choice.

However, under rules announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday, construction workers would need to be vaccinated if they want to keep working after outbreaks of COVID-19 on sites.

Workers in the industry will need to show evidence to their employer that they have had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 11.59pm on Thursday.

Union officials and construction sector employees have been frustrated at the lack of consultation with the Health Department before the government announced the new rules on lunch rooms and vaccinations.

Some of the more onerous rules the government initially imposed, including a ban on drinking water on site, were overturned in consultation with the sector over the weekend.

Mr Setka was flanked on Monday by senior officials Steve Balta and Derek Christopher.

After union officials retreated back into the office with some representatives of the protesters, the pelting of the windows began and there was jostling between officials and workers.

The union in a statement said it had “fought tirelessly since the beginning of the pandemic to keep this industry open and safe, and this continues to be the priority of the union”.

“We have always supported freedom of choice regarding vaccination and have been consistent with this message,” the spokesperson said.

“We are not going to be intimidated by outside extremists attempting to intimidate the union, by spreading misinformation and lies about the union’s position.

When asked about the incident during Monday’s COVID-19 press conference, Mr Andrews said protests would not stop the virus.

“I would simply say the protests don’t work against this virus, protests are not smart, they’re not safe,” Mr Andrews said.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for people who do the building in our city and state, as a government we’ve employed and supported that industry, I think more than any other government in the history of the state,” he said.

“But what I will say is I reckon that there’ll be a whole bunch of people who are at home, because their industry is shut, and they’d be scratching their heads about why anyone would be protesting about being open.”

With Carolyn Webb and Nick Bonyhady

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Ben Schneiders is a multi-award winning investigative journalist at The Age with a focus on workplace issues, politics, business and corruption.Connect via Twitter, Facebook or email.

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