- The Guardian
- Issue #2108
Photo: Anna Pha
The Communist Party of Australia Central Committee condemns in the strongest possible terms the most recent attacks against the CFMEU.
It is the view of the CPA that the rapacious attacks on the CFMEU are an attack on the entire labour movement.
The allegations made publicly by the 9 newspapers and the 60 Minutes program on Sunday 14 July have the political objective of forcing the ALP federal government to introduce legislation to weaken the trade union movement.
The CPA respects the right of all workers to a job. For some of them it means having a second chance in life regardless of their previous personal circumstances.
The CPA strongly supports the right of unions to use their internal processes to identify issues and rectify shortcomings. The Party rejects external interference from either governments or employer groups.
The CFMEU leadership acted immediately through their internal structures to deal with the allegations labelled against the Victorian Branch, its biggest and most powerful branch.
We stand in solidarity with construction workers and their legitimate representative the CFMEU. A strong union in a tough industry in which workers are often robbed of their wages, conditions and entitlements, where many workers are injured or even lose their lives.
The CFMEU is sometimes the only hope for workers to have a safe workplace with the right to return home after each shift.
This is the time for the trade union movement to show its greatest unity and solidarity, in the spirit that an injury to one is an injury to all.
The CPA rejects the reintroduction of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), or federal intervention in the democratic running of unions.
The Communist Party of Australia proudly demands Hands off the CFMEU!
