The Gillard Government has a clear mandate for its new legislation to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission, the CFMEU said today.

CFMEU Construction National Secretary Dave Noonan said any legislation to abolish the ABCC must get rid of the organisation’s coercive powers.

“Labor has promised to abolish the ABCC at the last two elections. They have been given a clear mandate to get rid of this flawed organisation and the Parliament will soon have the chance to end the ABCC and restore rights to workers,” Mr Noonan said.

“We are finally getting close to the abolition of the ABCC, which has achieved nothing but waste $35 million of taxpayers’ money in its attempts to intimidate construction workers and union members.

 Sham contracting
“Any replacement to the ABCC must focus on the issue of sham contracting in the construction industry, which costs the Federal Government billions each year in taxes, and on working with unions and employers to improve safety in construction.

 “However it is crucial that the final legislation not only scraps the ABCC but does not transfer its coercive powers to another organisation.

 “Coercive powers – which give the ABCC the right to secretly interrogate workers – have no place in a free society. The ABCC’s recent admission that it had stepped outside its powers and illegally interrogated 203 people up to November last year should be the final nail in its coffin.

 “Construction workers want to be treated the same as all other workers, not subject to the stress of arbitrary interrogations which can hang over their heads for months.”

Mr Noonan said that since the Australian Building and Construction Commission was created by the Howard Government it had achieved nothing except intimidate workers in the construction industry.