The Sacking of a Union

[Des Taff Jenkins]

The taking over by a Govt appointed official of the biggest union in Australia has caused a huge mess, the Union is going to the High court to get the law rescinded. Now all the baggage is being exposed and I was surprised to see how fortunate I was in my time in the building Industry. We where building a big prison in Parklea in Sydney when the body hire companies started up, and it had the blessing of the Govt of the day to try to downgrade the unions. In yesterdays paper, lo and behold the man they want out of the CMFEU the biggest union in Aus was none other than George Alex one of the biggest stand over men in the building industry and the bloke who was the original Govt goody two shoes helping them smash the Unions.He was the Al Capone of Aus, now he is in court charged with trying to dodge a tax bill of $10million. I threw a body hire crew off the prison site, probably one of Georges early attempts at getting a foothold in the industry that was around forty years ago, hehas had a good run.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Bit of a mixed bag here.
Back in the early 80's the Labor gov deregistered the BLF, fore runner to the CFMEU.

The members are just workers doing their job, but the top guys are not so clean.
The gov plan by putting it into administration is to stop some of the rorts taking place.

Back handers, stand over tactics, members of a banned motor cycle club administrating some of the members finances.
The workers of this union work hard, they deliver many of the much needed buildings, hospitals , schools etc.
It is hard demanding work, but they have gained a very bad name here in Victoria due to the actions of the last leader.

The Maritime union did join with them some years ago but is now moving away, the Electrical Union here in Vic wants nothing to do with them according to a spokesman for them.

It will be interesting to see the outcome, could take a year or so.

[j.sabourn]

Since my first trip to sea at 16 I was a member of an association or termed by some a Union and like others on site was called the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers Association.
Being only 16 the fees were minimal but stayed in it all my time in British ships . It later became the The National Union of Air and Sea Transport ( numast) today is again something else. I was a member of the Australian Guild a part of the MUA. Numast I only officially used once and that was to supply a Solicitor to an Inquiry I attended after reading some of the media reports beforehand. Although I knew more maritime law than she did ,her presence there in the courtroom kept the long nosed fairy tale reporters at bay as they realised that I would have their guts for garters if they stepped over the line. I would still also do to this present day, it has to be the truth or nothing is my outlook on behaviour. If not in a union the average working man cannot afford this luxury of a legal presence on his or her behalf. I think to this day every person should have the means of the best legal representatives available and this is my main reason being at one time a union member. I was in and off the stand like a dose of salts and must have been the shortest time of any witness called to testify. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
I think you may have that slightly wrong the Electrical trade union has resigned from the A.C.T.U, The Australian Council of Trade Unions, over their support of the Govt taking the action they have, once powerful now a knitting club.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Your more knowledgeable than me Des as regards the actual running of unions , I am only aware of their final use. Going back to my #3. During my use of a solicitor at my so called testimony I was also a member of the MNI ( member of the nautical institute ) and to make public my feelings about the disaster sent them an article similar to what is on here. They refused to print in their magazine saying it was maybe not suitable for the occasion. I immediately withdrew my membership and sent the same article to the numast telegraph who repeated it in the Telegraph word for word. These fancy associations to me are only there so members can put letters behind their name and their members are mainly unaware of the real world of shipping. I hope they have improved in the intervening 36 years . Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Des, you may well be correct on that one.
But there have been so many different officials in our news here in Victoria it at times becomes hard to understand.

But it does appear that the center of attention on this one is the actions of head officials in Victoria.
Not sure what is going on in other states.

But here in Vic we are in serious trouble with a gov that has constantly turned a blind eye to some of the events concerning the CFMEU.
It was for that reason we think our last inglorious premier desperate Dan Andres got out when he did.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
The same reason Bill Shorten is leaving, we used to have many a run in when he was leading light in his old union, he used to try and pinch men from the building unions, heard on the grapevine he made good while they where building the motorways in Victoria. Many of those politician's where no better than the standover men for taking the brown bag.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Too right there Des, our last premier Disgusting Dan Andrews , said to have more brown bags then the guy in Queensland all those yrears ago.

[Alan Briggs]

The CFMEU have hired Brett Walker for their court action probably Sydney's top barrister, his normal fees are 25,000 A DAY, not bad for a body that represents the workers.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Alan.
We always used the best for the best, like the employers.
Cheers Des