CFMEU RECOVERS MILLIONS IN LOST WAGES WHILE REGULATOR REFUSES TO ACT   :(
PUBLISHED: 9 DEC 2021
CFMEU Union.

CFMEU recovers millions in lost wages while regulator refuses to act

The CFMEU has recovered more than $17 million in unpaid wages and entitlements for construction workers since the start of this financial year, while the ABCC recovered just $1 million, proving yet again the Morrison Government's politicised building regulator is unwilling to use its vast resources to tackle underpayment and wage theft in the industry.

“The ABCC continually fails to take serious action on the wage theft, sham contracting and widespread non-payment of money owed to subcontractors now rampant in the industry despite having a budget in excess of $80 million per annum and the same coercive powers as a Royal Commission,” said Dave Noonan, CFMEU National Construction Secretary.

“Underpayment is rife in construction with PwC estimating construction workers are underpaid $320 million every year. PwC’s 2019 modelling revealed construction workers, who make up 10% of the national workforce, account for a shocking 25% of the total $1.5 billion in underpayments experienced by workers across the entire economy every year.”

“Late payment of builders and subcontractors by developers is also a scourge in the industry, with recent data showing late payment in construction worsened by 5.2% in the June quarter. Big developers routinely withhold payments worth hundreds of millions of dollars owed to builders and subcontractors for work already done, placing a massive financial burden on the subcontractors who employ the majority of construction workers.”

“When these builders and subcontractors go to the wall it is the union, not the ABCC, that steps in to recover workers’ wages and entitlements.”

“This includes $4 million recovered for more than 200 construction workers in recent days in NSW who were facing a bleak summer after major gyprock and fitout company, Cubic, went into liquidation. In this instance the union recovered unpaid wages and entitlements, including superannuation.”

“Last week the ABCC was congratulating itself for recovering $1 million over five months from July to November 2021. During the same time the CFMEU has recovered in excess of $17 million in wages and entitlements for workers.”   

“The ABCC says it has recovered a grand total of $4 million in underpayments since it was reconstituted in 2016, which is a pittance when you consider that the CFMEU has recovered more than 4 times that much in the last 5 months alone.”   :(

“The ABCC's own annual reports show the regulator has gone backwards on wage recovery over the last two years, with the regulator recovering less money for fewer employees in 2020-21 ($902,464 for 1,448 employees) than it did in the previous 2019-20 financial year ($1,117,330 for 1741 employees).”

“According to the ABCC’s website there is only one current prosecution in relation to payment of wages and entitlements. By contrast, there are twenty-five other current matters directed at workers and their unions.”

“Since it was reinstated in 2016, the ABCC has not prosecuted a single case of sham contracting in the courts, despite the problem being rampant in the industry.”   :(

“Fake umpire McBurney blows hard when attacking unions but swallows his whistle when builders and developers steal money from workers and subbies.”

“The ABCC's excuse for their inaction on wage theft makes no sense. They say that they want the union to refer underpayments to them when the union has already recovered the underpayments.”

“What would that achieve?”

“Why doesn’t McBurney just instruct his inspectors to do their job, instead of turning a blind eye to rampant wage theft?”

“The ABCC isn’t serious about wage theft. It spends more time and resources trying to ban union stickers and Eureka flags. It is a hopelessly politicised regulator that sells workers short and must be abolished.”

ABCC is another stacked LNP bureaucratic Quango that without teeth or inclination to prosecute these wage thieves.

Only wants to chase small individual unionists like Ark Tribe.

They were created by the Liberals for the employers.

It is wrong for them to be caught helping employees.

More of the liberal partys brown shirts

Labor majority government wrote on Dec 21^st, 2021 at 11:02am:

More of the liberal partys brown shirts

Poor, poor Benny Hillbanese.......the dumb labrat (one of many)...... ;D ;D ;D

Quote:

“The ABCC continually fails to take serious action on the wage theft, sham contracting and widespread non-payment of money owed to subcontractors now rampant in the industry despite having a budget in excess of $80 million per annum and the same coercive powers as a Royal Commission,” said Dave Noonan, CFMEU National Construction Secretary. “Underpayment is rife in construction with PwC estimating construction workers are underpaid $320 million every year. PwC’s 2019 modelling revealed construction workers, who make up 10% of the national workforce, account for a shocking 25% of the total $1.5 billion in underpayments experienced by workers across the entire economy every year.”

Corporate crime is thriving because the ABCC exists. It should be abolished and the funds redirected to Fair Work, which is underfunded.

Employers who steal wages are criminals, and should be sent to prison where they belong. Seeing a few hundred employers hauled off in handcuffs, to spend 10 years in jail while all of their assets are seized as the proceeds of crime will give the rest of them the incentive to clean up their criminal conduct or face the consequences.

No.  Next question??? The blonde at the back - I remember you from last year at the closed down conference where only a very few were allowed in.... not that I'm chauvinist or anything, but... yes - I remember you well..

Fuzzball wrote on Dec 21^st, 2021 at 3:39pm:

Labor majority government wrote on Dec 21st, 2021 at 11:02am: More of the liberal partys brown shirts Poor, poor Benny Hillbanese.......the dumb labrat (one of many)...... ;D ;D ;D

You only need to look at your hand going Bla Bla Bla to see what you are full of.

In this case PM is correct. The ABCC is a disgraceful organism created to hurt workers and nothing else. This group needs to be flushed.

Bam wrote on Dec 21^st, 2021 at 8:23pm:

Employers who steal wages are criminals

They have to comply with the law when they thieve progressive income tax from your pay.

Dnarever wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2021 at 9:07am:

Fuzzball wrote on Dec 21st, 2021 at 3:39pm: Labor majority government wrote on Dec 21st, 2021 at 11:02am: More of the liberal partys brown shirts Poor, poor Benny Hillbanese.......the dumb labrat (one of many)...... ;D ;D ;D You only need to look at your hand going Bla Bla Bla to see what you are full of. In this case PM is correct. The ABCC is a disgraceful organism created to hurt workers and nothing else. This group needs to be flushed.

Still following the crumbs ratty........you're a weak minded prat..........

Fuzzball wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2021 at 9:19am:

Dnarever wrote on Dec 22nd, 2021 at 9:07am: Fuzzball wrote on Dec 21st, 2021 at 3:39pm: Labor majority government wrote on Dec 21st, 2021 at 11:02am: More of the liberal partys brown shirts Poor, poor Benny Hillbanese.......the dumb labrat (one of many)...... ;D ;D ;D You only need to look at your hand going Bla Bla Bla to see what you are full of. In this case PM is correct. The ABCC is a disgraceful organism created to hurt workers and nothing else. This group needs to be flushed. Still following the crumbs ratty........you're a weak minded prat..........

Blah Blah Blah.

Quote:

Are The ABCC Serious About Wage Theft?

Yes they are, They support it.

The ABCC is just another attempt by the libs to pretend they're doing something without actually doing something

a lot like their policies on:

climate change
multinationals paying their share of tax
stopping debt
reducing taxes for working class
improving accountability in government
stopping corruption in govt.
stopping covid


we could go on all day

John Smith wrote on Dec 24^th, 2021 at 4:18pm:

The ABCC is just another attempt by the libs to pretend they're doing something without actually doing something a lot like their policies on: climate change multinationals paying their share of tax stopping debt reducing taxes for working class improving accountability in government stopping corruption in govt. stopping covid we could go on all day

What a pity you do not consider that restoring the air conditioning on a rented place, owned by your missus, in the middle of the Queensland summer, is not an emergency... or even a priority that a genuine slum owner would consider worthy of immediate attention, given that the cost would be a tax deduction anyway...

Repair needed - repair done... something you do not understand about that?  The customer is always right - but not if the customer is a renter, eh?

Sometimes you are 100% right, Smith - the rest of the time you are just another WOP loser with a serious issue with reality.....  TF is wrong with you?

You can be so right - but so terribly wrong at the same time...... schizophrenia? Or just Wogitis - the desperate need to procure money at any cost regardless of the cost to anyone else.. something imported upon us Australians by our 'governments' with the idiotic and self-serving policy platforms?

Prick!!

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Dec 26^th, 2021 at 11:24pm:

What a pity you do not consider that restoring the air conditioning on a rented place, owned by your missus, in the middle of the Queensland summer, is not an emergency..

You should stop commenting on topics you are clearly clueless on

Air-conditioning is not a requisite in housing. The failing of a unit does not constitute an emergency.

The landlord is under no obligation to provide or repair an air-conditioner at any point in the lease at all, least of all as an emergency call-out.

mothra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2021 at 8:39am:

The landlord is under no obligation to provide or repair an air-conditioner at any point in the lease at all

Actually, they are required to repair air con if it exists in the property.

If you lease the house at a set rent with air con as part of the deal the tenant is entitled to expect working air con in exchange for that rent.

It does not however qualify as a emergency repair. Emergency repairs are those which cause a break in essential services, like electricity failing, a broken toilet, a burst water pipe etc., or those that risk imminent damage to people or property.

Air con is not an essential service, it's a luxury item and any tenant is quite capable of living in the property for several days, or even weeks if required, without air con.

This is a full list of what the Qld's RTA (Rental Tenancies Authority) considers emergency repairs

Emergency repairs are:

    a burst water service or a serious water service leak
    a blocked or broken toilet
    a serious roof leak
    a gas leak
    a dangerous electrical fault
    flooding or serious flood damage
    serious storm, fire or impact damage
    a failure or breakdown of the gas, electricity or water supply
    a failure or breakdown of an essential service or appliance on the property for hot water, cooking or heating
    a fault or damage that makes the property unsafe or insecure
    a fault or damage likely to injure a person, damage property or unduly inconvenience a tenant
    a serious fault in a staircase, lift or other common area of the property that unduly inconveniences a tenant in gaining access to, or using, the property.

All other repairs are considered routine repairs.


https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/during-a-tenancy/maintenance-and-repairs/who-is-responsible-for-repairs

John Smith wrote on Dec 27^th, 2021 at 8:48am:

mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2021 at 8:39am: The landlord is under no obligation to provide or repair an air-conditioner at any point in the lease at all Actually, they are required to repair air con if it exists in the property. If you lease the house at a set rent with air con as part of the deal the tenant is entitled to expect working air con in exchange for that rent. It does not however qualify as a emergency repair. Emergency repairs are those which cause a break in essential services, like electricity failing, a broken toilet, a burst water pipe etc., or those that risk imminent damage to people or property. Air con is not an essential service, it's a luxury item and any tenant is quite capable of living in the property for several days, or even weeks if required, without air con.

Oh okay. My bad. A whole lot of dodgy landlords then.

mothra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2021 at 8:57am:

John Smith wrote on Dec 27th, 2021 at 8:48am: mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2021 at 8:39am: The landlord is under no obligation to provide or repair an air-conditioner at any point in the lease at all Actually, they are required to repair air con if it exists in the property. If you lease the house at a set rent with air con as part of the deal the tenant is entitled to expect working air con in exchange for that rent. It does not however qualify as a emergency repair. Emergency repairs are those which cause a break in essential services, like electricity failing, a broken toilet, a burst water pipe etc., or those that risk imminent damage to people or property. Air con is not an essential service, it's a luxury item and any tenant is quite capable of living in the property for several days, or even weeks if required, without air con. Oh okay. My bad. A whole lot of dodgy landlords then.

there certainly are.  The good news is that for every dodgy one, I've found another who is the exact opposite and always goes the extra mile for his tenant it's not all bad.