CFMEU backs Setka’s 20pc pay deal
Jun 17, 2024 – 4.53pmListen to this article4 minJohn Setka’s branch of the CFMEU has pushed through a 20 per cent pay deal over four years and restored conditions previously banned by the Coalition’s building code, including union vetoes over rostered days off, labour-hire limits and mandated union flags on site.
Thousands of members and delegates voted through the Victorian deal, which grants workers pay rises of 5 per cent a year and loosens up rules over working during inclement weather, at a mass meeting at Festival Hall, Melbourne, on Monday.
CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka leaves the Festival Hall in Melbourne after his final deal as secretary received a vote of approval. Eamon Gallagher
Crane crew workers objected to parts of the deal, fearing that inclement weather changes would mean workers would be pressured to do work outside their classification, but were overruled by the majority.
The union is expected to roll out the deal, negotiated with Master Builders Victoria, to the rest of the industry over the coming weeks.
“It’s a fantastic result,” Mr Setka said. “It was a big highlight [of my time as secretary] and it’s good to have the support of the members.”
AdvertisementLast year Mr Setka promised members the “best EBA in history” to keep up with the cost of living, telling a rally “we’re not giving anything away”.
The 5 per cent annual pay rises are above inflation and general wage growth but are in line with standard increases for CFMEU agreements pre-pandemic. They followed Mr Setka negotiating 3 per cent increases for four years in 2020 during COVID-19 lockdowns.
By contrast, CFMEU Queensland secured a 26 per cent increase over five years in its latest industry agreement, including a backdated 5.9 per cent increase for last year, followed by 5.3 per cent, 5 per cent, 4.9 per cent and 4.7 per cent.
CFMEU NSW is pushing for wage rises of 8 per cent this year followed by three years of 6 per cent each.
But some Victorian members were happy with the pay rise. One long-standing member called out “God Bless the CFMEU” and “20 per cent pay rises! There’s not enough Ford Rangers in the f---ing country [to buy]!”
CFMEU Victorian assistant secretary Derek Christopher, who is likely to succeed Mr Setka, urged members to take the rest of the day off after complaining about employers docking workers’ pay whenever they rallied.
“If we’ve achieved this today, they can get f---ed and keep their day’s pay – hit the f---ing pubs, go for a drink and everyone can get f---ed!”
Mr Setka, who retires this year, told reporters as he left that “it’s a bit emotional [but] in a good way” before he was ushered into his chauffeured black Ford Ranger by cheering CFMEU members.
CFMEU members leave the meeting on Monday. Eamon Gallagher
The deal returns conditions banned under the Coalition’s now-scrapped building code, such as allowing union officials without permits to enter sites at the builder’s invitation, requiring unions to agree if workers work a rostered day off, and requiring every site to fly a union flag.
It also restricts crane crew labour-hire to when crew are away on leave or when they have to do a night shift. Crane crews must also be employed on a direct or full-time basis with either the builder, subcontractor or crane owner.
The union accepted that, during inclement weather, bosses could direct workers to perform other duties within their classification, such as the crane crew doing materials handling.
Crane crew members objected to the changes, fearing it meant employers would get them to do other work and some others worried that the hiring requirements would put some labour-hire members out of a job.
Mr Christopher assured them that it was “business as f---ing usual for all labour-hire companies that have crane crew,” and said the union wanted to stop the “scourge” of ABNs.
“We got every man and his dog and every gangster in the world wanting to come down here from other states and take over the f---ing crane crews and casualise and labour hire the f---k out of them.”
Workers will also be covered by a code of respect to deal with inappropriate conduct on sites.
At the meeting, Mr Setka avoided mentioning his campaign to sack former ABCC head Stephen McBurney, saying there had been stories in the media but he would not dignify them with a response because “the more you touch shit, the more it stinks”.
