Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union

Toilet Paper Trail That's Raising a Stink - 8 February 2010
A LONG-RUNNING battle in Australia's toilet paper industry has taken another twist, with the federal government overturning a previous ruling to prevent the import of thousands of tonnes of cheap loo paper from China and Indonesia. The offending paper, mainly sold in the form of the Select brand at Woolworths supermarkets, undercut the Australian product by up to 40 per cent. Tens of millions of the bargain-basement rolls were sold. [ MORE ] Guts and Determination Force Historic Rio Breakthrough in Pilbara - 8 February 2010
Almost 20 years of guts and determination to fight for the right to bargain collectively with Rio Tinto in the Pilbara have finally paid off with the company agreeing to bargain with our Union for an agreement to cover most employees in its rail operations division. [ MORE ] Our challenge to Rio in the Pilbara – Let workers decide in secret ballot - 18 December 2009
This week our Union has sought a majority support determination for workers in Rio Tinto's rail operations, in a bid to bring the company back to the bargaining table in the Pilbara for the first time in more than a decade. [ MORE ] Miners protest Peabody lock-out - 15 December 2009
Miners armed with placards and boards displaying their frustration with US mining giant Peabody lined the road to Mackay Airport yesterday afternoon. The North Goonyella miners were locked out of their worksite last week, without pay for 10 days, after Peabody Energy Australia responded to six weeks of union-organised strikes. [ MORE ] Industry must match Govt investment in carbon capture and storage - 11 December 2009
Australian coalminers have praised the Federal Government’s $2billion cash injection into the development of carbon capture and storage technologies as a move that will help protect thousands of coalmining jobs. The Federal Government today announced the funds would go towards four flagship carbon capture and storage projects in Wandoan, Gladstone, Latrobe Valley and the Collie South West hub near Perth. [ MORE ]

Action Needed To Halt Apartheid Policies in Israel
Today Australian unions are confronted with a choice between international action in solidarity with the colonised and brutalised people of Occupied Palestine or joining Israel's apologists who want the plight of the Palestinian people buried and forgotten. [ READ MORE ]

Speech by John Sutton at Intelligence Squared Debate "Australia's Immigration Rate is Too High"
Our current immigration numbers are too high for Australia's present economic circumstances and are detrimental to the job prospects and work rights of our young people in particular. The rapid growth of temporary visa workers in Australia needs to be curtailed and guest workers only introduced where genuine, verifiable skill shortages exist. [ READ MORE ]

CFMEU Submission on Model OHS Laws rejects lowest common denominator approach
In regard to the draft Model OHS laws, the final CFMEU submission to Safe Work Australia argues that the Workplace Relations Ministerial Council, that approved the final public comment draft of the Model OHS laws, (all the state, territory and Commonwealth OHS Ministers) failed to apply the basic directive for the new laws "that in developing harmonised OHS legislation there be no reduction or compromise in standards for legitimate safety concerns". [ READ MORE ]

CFMEU Calls for Justice for the Cuban Five
The Cuban Five, sometimes known as the Miami Five, will soon be entering the twelfth year of their unjust prison terms. Nobel Prize laureates, peace organizations, politicians and other associations worldwide have campaigned for justice for these men who acted in the interests of the safety of their country. The CFMEU asks that you join this campaign for their freedom. [ READ MORE ]

A Better Life? Stories of Exploited Guest Workers in Australia
The hope of a better life is the common thread that runs through the stories of almost all guest workers who come to Australia. For many, however, the life that awaits them here does not match expectations. All too often, guest workers' vulnerabilities are exploited. The fact that guest workers are twice as likely to die at work is tragic evidence of this vulnerability. [ READ MORE ]

CFMEU Submission to Subcontractor Tax Review
In 2009, the culture of "no ABN, no start" remains widespread in construction and elsewhere. It is still commonplace for job advertisements to specify that applicants "must have an ABN" for labouring and other jobs, including where the remuneration is quoted as an hourly wage. There is apparently little fear of ATO action against blatant breaches of the subbies tax legislation. A 2008 ABS survey shows the estimated number of dependent contractors has increased to 338,300 (35% of all 'independent contractors') if defined as those not able to subcontract their own work, and 260,500 on a more conservative definition (27%). These are considerably higher than Productivity Commission estimates of 230,000 dependent contractors in 2001. [ READ MORE ]

Construction Workers Deserve the Same Rights As All Workers - Abolish the ABCC Now
Professor George Williams is the Director of the Centre for Public Law at the University of New South Wales. In 2008 he undertook a major legal analysis of the powers of the ABCC. He found that "The ABCC's investigatory powers simply have no place in a modern, fair system of industrial relations, let alone one of a nation that prides itself on political and industrial freedoms". His analysis can be read here. [ READ MORE ]