Chants of “F*** Albo” and “hands off our union” echoed through Sydney’s CBD as thousands of protesters took to the streets in support of the embattled CFMEU, despite warnings against unauthorised strikes.
More than a thousand construction workers cheered and applauded former CFMEU NSW secretary Darren Greenfield as he addressed the rally outside the state parliament on Tuesday.
It was one of many protests held across the country, with more than 10,000 workers walking off the construction site and demonstrations taking place in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
Mr Greenfield has slammed the Labor Party after the federal government placed the CFMEU under administration last week, calling Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a “rotten scumbag”.
Mr Greenfield lost his job as boss of CFMEU NSW on Friday after the union’s construction and general divisions were forced to accept a government-appointed manager.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Mr. Greenfield told the crowd.
Similar scenes took place in other capitals of the country, including Melbourne and Brisbane.
The federal government last week passed a bill giving it the power to place the union, which has been plagued by allegations of widespread corruption and links to organised crime, into administration after a deal was struck with the coalition.
Chants of ‘F*** Albo’ and ‘hands off our union’ echoed through Sydney’s CBD as thousands of protesters took to the streets in support of the beleaguered CFMEU, despite warnings against unauthorised strikes (pictured protesters in Melbourne)
More than a thousand construction workers cheered and applauded former CFMEU NSW secretary Darren Greenfield as he spoke at the rally outside the state parliament on Tuesday (pictured protesters in Sydney)
Melbourne’s streets were filled with protesters on Tuesday
Mr Albanese previously warned that there would be “consequences” if people walked off the job as part of the nationwide protests.
Speaking to reporters at the Western Sydney Airport construction site, the Prime Minister defended his government’s actions in relation to the CFMEU, saying they were “in the best interests of all union members”.
“We respect the work that construction workers do,” he said.
‘It’s a tough job and they do a fantastic job, also here at this beautiful airport.
“What we want to do is make sure that their union is free from corruption.”
Asked whether imposing the CFMEU would limit workers’ ability to unionise, Albanese said the aim was “real union membership”.
“You need unions in construction, it’s a dangerous industry,” he said.
“But what we want to do is make sure that there is a union that does justice to the incredible work that construction workers do.”
Police kept a close eye on protesters as protests broke out in Sydney
Mr Greenfield lost his job as boss of CFMEU NSW on Friday after the union’s construction and general divisions were forced to accept a government-appointed manager (pictured protesters in Brisbane)
Asked whether forcing the CFMEU into administration would limit workers’ ability to unionise, Albanese said the aim was ‘real union membership’ (pictured protesters in Sydney)
Members of the CFMEU marched en masse through Brisbane’s CBD.
Mr Albanese also said: ‘If there are unprotected strikes, there will be consequences.’
Shortly after Mr Albanese’s comments, New South Wales Police said they were responding to an unauthorised protest in Sydney’s CBD, lifting ‘motorway closures’ along Macquarie St and Elizabeth St towards Hyde Park.
Since the union went bankrupt last week, about 300 CFMEU officials have been fired.
Although Tuesday’s demonstrations were supported by some unions, the CFMEU’s administrator has distanced itself from strikes. A spokesman said that taking “unprotected industrial action is not lawful” and that the union “is no longer involved” in the protests.
Finance Minister Jim Chalmers gave his views on the protests, telling the ABC the government expected a “backlash” over its actions against the CFMEU, but urged protesters to be “peaceful”.
He said that ‘when you appoint a union executive and you fire a couple of hundred officials, there’s going to be a backlash.’
“We want today’s protests to be peaceful, but that is not surprising when you confront union leaders with the kind of behavior that has been proclaimed recently,” he said.
Jade Ingham, CFMEU Assistant Secretary of State, speaks at the meeting in Brisbane
About 300 CFMEU officials have been sacked since the union took over last week (pictured: Sydney residents at the protest)
Finance Minister Jim Chalmers gave his views on the protests, telling the ABC the government expected a “backlash” over its actions against the CFMEU, but urged protesters to be “peaceful” (pictured protesters in Sydney)