{"id":51229,"date":"2025-07-09T11:09:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T11:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/51229\/"},"modified":"2025-07-09T11:09:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T11:09:12","slug":"queensland-cfmeu-branch-used-threats-and-coercion-to-cause-fear-report-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/51229\/","title":{"rendered":"Queensland CFMEU branch used ‘threats and coercion’ to cause fear, report finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

A bombshell report has laid bare stunning allegations of a culture of violence, intimidation, misogyny, and bullying within the Queensland branch of the CFMEU.<\/p>\n

WARNING: The following story contains language which some readers may find distressing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of the most extreme examples of serious threats and aggressive behaviour across several years included union officials telling people “we know where you live” and “there is a bullet with your name on it”.<\/p>\n

The report<\/a> found on one occasion, a trio of men approached a Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) inspector at a funeral, calling him a “c***” and a “f***ing dog”.<\/p>\n

The union was placed into administration last year following allegations of links in Victoria to bikie gangs and crime syndicates.<\/p>\n

Administrator Mark Irving KC commissioned barrister Geoffrey Watson SC to investigate the claims in the Queensland branch.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Geoffrey Watson has found the Queensland CFMEU branch “used threats and coercion deliberately to cause fear”. (ABC News: Sissy Reyes)<\/p>\n

Mr Watson found the union deliberately breached its anti-violence policy to further its agenda.<\/p>\n

“The CFMEU in Queensland actually intended to inflict physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse on others,” he said.<\/p>\n

“The CFMEU used threats and coercion deliberately to cause fear.<\/p>\n

“The purpose of the violence is plain \u2014 the violence is used by the CFMEU to support a pursuit of political, industrial, and financial power.<\/p>\n

“This included, if necessary, destroying individuals and businesses. The CFMEU is ruthless \u2014 it will crush anyone offering any resistance to it.”<\/p>\n

\"Crowd<\/p>\n

Geoffrey Watson found the union deliberately breached its anti-violence policy to further its agenda. (ABC News: Julius Dennis)<\/p>\n

Hostility towards workplace health and safety<\/p>\n

Mr Watson found the union often intimidated and threatened WHS inspectors to bend them to its will.<\/p>\n

This typically involved doctored social media posts, which would identify the inspectors and, on occasions, their families.<\/p>\n

One inspector, subject to an inflammatory video, was at the funeral of his friend’s wife when he was approached by three men he didn’t know.<\/p>\n

According to the report, one stated “you’re that c*** from the video” and another said “you’re a bit of a f***ing dog”.<\/p>\n

In a June 2022 incident, the 21-year-old daughter of an inspector was attending a suburban Brisbane gym when she was approached by a man.<\/p>\n

The report stated, she was asked her name and when she responded the man said: “Is that your old man on the video? He’s a f***ing c***”.”<\/p>\n

The woman’s friends intervened, and while Mr Watson said the man’s identity was unknown, he inferred the man was referring to a CFMEU video on its Facebook page.<\/p>\n

\"Workers<\/p>\n

The Queensland branch of the CFMEU said in a social media post that the state government had “been repeatedly warned about cost cutting and major safety issues”.<\/p>\n

Focus on attacking women<\/p>\n

The report outlined numerous instances of attacks against women, which Mr Watson labelled as what “might just be the single worst aspect of the violence perpetrated by the CFMEU”.<\/p>\n

In a 2022 protest outside the Master Builders Association (MBA) building, where CFMEU members hoisted a coffin outside the chief executive’s office, protesters saw a young woman through the glass.<\/p>\n

“Come out here and I’ll f*** you,” the report detailed, leading riot police to shepherd the woman to a safer place.<\/p>\n

Queensland CFMEU to be investigated<\/a><\/p>\n

Independent advisory firm KordaMentha has been asked by the CFMEU administrator to probe the state branch.<\/p>\n

In a 2023 incident at a Labour Day celebration, an Australian Workers Union (AWU) official and her 13-year-old child were confronted by a heavily built man.<\/p>\n

He proceeded to call her a “grub” and a “sellout” before speaking directly to the child.<\/p>\n

“How does it feel to know that your mum is a f***in’ grub who sells out workers?” the report said.<\/p>\n

The man wasn’t identified, but Mr Watson concluded the conduct was consistent with other CFMEU members’ activity around that time.<\/p>\n

He noted a consistent targeting of AWU officials by the CFMEU.<\/p>\n

In June 2023, an AWU organiser at the Cross River Rail site in Brisbane was told by CFMEU members, “we know you have two young sons” and “we know where you live”.<\/p>\n

Political influence<\/p>\n

Mr Watson found when Labor returned to government in Queensland in 2015, the CFMEU “regarded itself as having taken over administering industrial relations”.<\/p>\n

A public servant attended the CFMEU office for stakeholder consultation and complained that the union thought it should be drafting new industrial laws, rather than the parliament.<\/p>\n

They said a large man shouted at them, “I am your boss now”, “you’ll take your directions from me”, and “you’re now working for us”.<\/p>\n

One government minister described the union as “so aggressive so that nothing can satisfy its appetite”, and Queensland police insisted another minister be given a security upgrade due to threats.<\/p>\n

Mr Watson also found the abuse of politicians to be sexist.<\/p>\n

“Occasionally, signs were attached to the door of the ladies’ facilities near a female Minister’s office \u2014 “Flush Labor Down the Toilet”. One of these signs actually used tampons to form the words.”<\/p>\n

‘Fundamental change’ within the union achievable<\/p>\n

In response to the report, Mr Irving said the CFMEU had “made a mockery of union values” and would hold those responsible accountable.<\/p>\n

He stressed “fundamental change” was achievable and vital.<\/p>\n

“I will replace the old culture with one that embraces traditional union values of accountability, decency, and properly respecting the dignity of all workers,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mr Irving said.<\/p>\n

“This will involve setting of new standards for union employees and delegates, along with new procedures to deal with wrongdoing, and compulsory training.”<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Irving says “fundamental change” in the union is achievable and vital. (AAP: Joel Carrett)<\/p>\n

He noted he would exercise his powers to dismiss some employees and delegates, and prevent expelled members from rejoining the union.<\/p>\n

New employee contracts will be offered to employees continuing, to be employed through the branch rather than the state registered union.<\/p>\n

Mr Watson interviewed almost 60 people over three months, but noted he feared the investigation “only scratched the surface” of the violence in the union.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Deputy Premier and Minister for Industrial Relations Jarrod Bleijie commended those who had been involved in the report. \u00a0<\/p>\n

“The brave men and women who told their stories through this review should be praised for their courage,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“The CFMEU\u2019s militant behaviour must be condemned at every level.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A bombshell report has laid bare stunning allegations of a culture of violence, intimidation, misogyny, and bullying within…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":51230,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4740,38453,50,4797,4798,38452],"class_list":{"0":"post-51229","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-cfmeu","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-qld","12":"tag-queensland","13":"tag-union-administrator"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114822969093734641","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}