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Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union

The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) is the largest union in construction, forestry, maritime, textile, clothing and footwear production. The CFMEU is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Labor Party.

Founded

1992

  • Australia

137,795 (as at 31 December 2022)[1]

Christy Cain

Paddy Crumlin (MUA National Divisional Secretary)
Zach Smith (C&G National Divisional Secretary)
Michael O'Connor (Manufacturing National Divisional Secretary)

The CFMEU has offices in all capital cities in Australia and in many major regional centres with the national office of the union being in Melbourne. Before the 2018 merger, the CFMEU had an estimated 120,000 members and employed around 400 full-time staff and officials.[2]


In March 2018, a two-year long process ended resulting in a merger between the old CFMEU, the Maritime Union of Australia and the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia. The new CFMEU had a membership of approximately 144,000, 1% of the Australian workforce, with combined assets of $310 million and annual revenue of approximately $146 million.[3]

National

[4]

Construction & General Division (C&G)

John Setka

Maritime Union of Australia Division (MUA)

Manufacturing Division

The Coal Industry: The coal industry was the majority of the Mining and Energy Division's coverage. Of more than 16,500 members around 13,000 worked in the coal industry. The CFMEU was the primary union for the coal mining industry.

Coal Ports: The union represented most workers (approximately 500) at export coal ports located along the east coast of Australia

Metalliferous Mining: The Division covered most metalliferous miners in Broken Hill where silver, lead and zinc ores are mined. There were around 400 members at Broken Hill. Other mines are largely covered by the AWU. Through the amalgamation with the FEDFA, the division also had around 1,500 members at metalliferous mines in , South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.

Western Australia

Oil, gas and electricity: The division had around 2,200 members employed in power stations, oil refineries and other parts of the oil and gas production chain. This division was the major union representing workers in the Victorian power generation industry.

The Coke Industry: This industry as a stand-alone commercial industry is quite small in Australia. Most coke production is tied to iron and steel operations. There are stand-alone coke works on the South Coast of NSW (north of ) and in Bowen in Northern Queensland. The Mining and Energy Division covered the cokeworks on the south coast and the AWU covers the Bowen site. The CFMEU had approximately 50 members in the coke industry.

Wollongong

Amalgamations[edit]

The federal division of the Federated Saw Mill, Timber Yard and General Wood Workers Employees' Association changed its name to the Amalgamated Timber Workers' Union of Australia. The former union had been registered federally in 1907 and had registered branches in Victoria, Adelaide, New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania. Although the organisation was deregistered in 1918 its members formed a new union, the Australian Timber Workers' Union, the same year. The new union extended coverage to workers in box and case factories, saw makers' shops, joiners' workshops, carpenters, implement workers and wood-working machinists. In 1940 the union filed an application and succeeded in extending its coverage to most workers employed in the timber and wood industry including cabinet makers and furniture factories. In 1991 it amalgamated with the Pulp & Paper Workers' Federation of Australia to form the Australian Timber & Allied Industries Union. Later in the year amalgamation with the Building Workers' Industrial Union of Australia created the ATAIU & BWIU Amalgamated Union. Further amalgamations eventually saw this organisation become part of the Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union in 1993.[17]


In late 2015, the Maritime Union of Australia and CFMEU entered into merger talks to create 'Australia's most powerful union'.[18][19]


On 29 February 2016 at the MUA national conference, delegates voted unanimously in favour of negotiations for a merger with the CFMEU.[20][21] In August 2017, the Turnbull government introduced tough new laws targeting the CFMEU, with broad powers to deregister unions, disqualify officials and block unions from merging if they repeatedly breach industrial laws. The proposed law failed to pass the Senate.[22] The Fair Work Commission approved the merger in March 2018 of the CFMEU, MUA and the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA).[23] The merger had been opposed by business groups, including Master Builders Australia, and by the federal government.[23] In November 2018, the Australian Mines and Metals Association appealed to the Federal Court of Australia against the merger.[24] The appeal was dismissed in December.[25]

secretary of the Victorian-Tasmanian division of the CFMMEU

John Setka

Solidarity Park

One Big Union (concept)

(2005–2012 agency)

Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner

(2012–2016 agency)

Fair Work Building and Construction

(2016–2023 agency)

Australian Building and Construction Commission

Royal Commission into trade union governance and corruption

official website

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

official website

CFMEU Construction and General Division

official website

Australian Council of Trade Unions

Australian Trade Union Archives entry

official website

CFMEU Victoria Branch

official website

CFMEU Queensland-Northern Territory Branch

official website

CFMEU Western Australia Branch

official website

CFMEU NSW Branch