In an ongoing split among union ranks, the Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) national council has voted to leave the peak Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
CEPU represents about 100,000 electricians, postal workers, and plumbers.
The split was precipitated by the ACTU’s backing the decision to place the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) into administration amidst claims of illegal activity and links to criminal groups and bikies.
ACTU President Michele O'Neil responded to the move on ABC Radio National on Sept. 6.
“The biggest test we face every day is what we do to try and win better pay and conditions and rights for workers,” she said.
“That’s a pretty big test and a hard job—that unionists, good people all around the country are doing every day.”
But O'Neil said the ACTU was disappointed in the CEPU’s actions while understanding why they made the decision, and said her organisation’s focus was continuing to have a unified movement.
“It’s not the first time at all that in our history, which is nearly 97 years now ... and it won’t be the last time that a union chooses to disaffiliate and of course, the union movement changes over time as well,” O'Neil said.
In explaining the ACTU’s support of penalising the CFMEU, O'Neil said they would stand up to criminal elements and had told the errant union to comply several times.
“We need to face up to what has been happening in one union and really deal with the fact that individual leaders failed to act despite the fact that the ACTU and the union movement as a whole urged them to do so—to step in front of this, to make sure that they dealt with people accused of serious criminal action ...” O'Neil said.
“We urged (the CFMEU construction division) multiple times to clean up their act, which is one part of one union in this country but the fact that despite all of that, those individuals put the interest of themselves above the interest of working people, above the interests of members, above the interest of their union was a very hard thing for the union movement to face and that’s why we’ve ended up where we are today.”
As to whether a rival union bloc would pose a threat, O'Neil said cohesion would ultimately prevail.
“I think that it’s important that we realise that the union movement, the vast bulk of unions, want to stay part of a union movement,” she said.
“I haven’t had any other unions threaten to quit.”
