The building industry has been hit by controversy following reports that union officials are making corrupt deals to help companies linked to organised crime secure construction contracts.

Victoria's desalination plant and the Barangaroo development in Sydney are among a number of projects that companies connected to major crime figures are involved in, according to media reports.

The ABC said a joint investigation with Fairfax Media implicated a number of Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) members in New South Wales and Victoria in corrupt deals, including bribery and extortion.

It reported that Victorian CFMEU official, Danny Berardi, resigned immediately after the media companies supplied evidence that he had two companies help renovate his properties in exchange for getting them work on Melbourne construction sites.

CFMEU national secretary Dave Noonan said he was "concerned about any criminal activity in the industry", but that the union was not the regulator.

"These are issues for ASIC and the police force and we have consistently called on them to do their job," Mr Noonan said.

Australian Building Construction Commission chief Nigel Hadgkiss told the ABC he was aware of evidence about "the payment of bribes to senior union officials" in Victoria, but said police not previously acted on evidence of corruption in the industry.

He said the lack of action made way for criminals and corrupt officials, and that was "very frustrating".

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/union-hit-by-corrupt-deal-re...

Wonder why they never expose the non union corruption and links to crime in the building industry where it really is rife.

Could it be that Armpit is desperately looking for a way to deflect?

Unions are not the main building contractors.

Safety on construction sites is abysmal.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jan 28^th, 2014 at 5:43am:



CFMEU runs labor in victoria.

A vote for labor is a vote for the CFMEU.

Looks like newman has got it right in queensland.

No wonder the ETU and MUA are funding the bikies defence.

Abbott needs to call the RC soon.

I was a member of the CFMEU, I has a health and safety issue onsite and they never helped at all, perhaps now I know why.

St George of the Garden wrote on Jan 28^th, 2014 at 6:16am:

Crime figures Bilal Fatrouni and George Alex
Union accused of ties to crime figures, kickbacks for jobs
By national reporting team's Dan Oakes
Union officials have formed corrupt relationships with organised crime figures, receiving kickbacks in exchange for arranging lucrative contracts in the construction industry.

A joint investigation by ABC's 7.30 program and Fairfax Media has discovered that bribery, extortion and threats of violence are used to cement the influence of crime figures on Australia's construction sites.

Companies connected to major crime figures have won contracts on private and government projects, including Victoria's desalination plant and the Barangaroo development in Sydney.

Evidence including covertly recorded conversations, bank records, police intelligence files and whistleblower accounts implicate a number of senior CFMEU members in corruption.

The CFMEU national executive has also launched an internal investigation into the influence of Sydney crime figure George Alex (pictured, right) in the union's NSW arm.

More   YOUR ABC AND FAIR FAX  REPORT

St George of the Garden wrote on Jan 28^th, 2014 at 8:41am:



LOL

It’s being reported everywhere.

And now you look stooopid…..hahahahahahaha

FriYAY wrote on Jan 28^th, 2014 at 8:45am:

Crime figures Bilal Fatrouni and George Alex
Union accused of ties to crime figures, kickbacks for jobs
By national reporting team's Dan Oakes
Union officials have formed corrupt relationships with organised crime figures, receiving kickbacks in exchange for arranging lucrative contracts in the construction industry.

A joint investigation by ABC's 7.30 program and Fairfax Media has discovered that bribery, extortion and threats of violence are used to cement the influence of crime figures on Australia's construction sites.

Companies connected to major crime figures have won contracts on private and government projects, including Victoria's desalination plant and the Barangaroo development in Sydney.

Evidence including covertly recorded conversations, bank records, police intelligence files and whistleblower accounts implicate a number of senior CFMEU members in corruption.

The CFMEU national executive has also launched an internal investigation into the influence of Sydney crime figure George Alex (pictured, right) in the union's NSW arm.

More