Royal commission hears CFMEU may have forced Victoria contractors to submit
A royal commission heard the CFMEU pressured contractors to hire union workers on Victorian government projects.
Victoria's royal commission heard testimony about alleged corruption. Contractors said Jacinta Allan's office directed them to comply with CFMEU demands.
In 2022, there was a work stoppage at the Gap Road level crossing removal project. Union officials entered the site 31 times in one week.
They demanded contractors swap non-union workers for CFMEU-linked labour at higher cost. One engineer said the pressure to comply was very frustrating.
A briefing to Allan warned the switch would cost over $400 million extra. The inquiry also heard from a former CFMEU organiser.
This person had hired 11 men with bikie gang links. They were hired for safety roles on government projects.
- 31 times in June 2022
- Union visits in one week
- June 6, 2022
- Work stoppage date
- over 400 million dollars
- Estimated extra cost
- John Holland
- Construction company
Why it mattersThe findings could reveal how crime and union influence reached Victoria's public infrastructure spending. This could harm accountability and increase future project costs.
AustraliaVictorians may have paid hundreds of millions in extra costs on state infrastructure if union control and bikie involvement in project labour was widespread across the Big Build program.
