The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union is set to become the first to split under the federal government’s new demerger laws, after the mining and energy division announced its intention to break away.
Delegates from CFMMEU’s mining and energy division voted to quit the beleaguered union on Monday, releasing a scathing statement attacking the union for being overtaken by “macho posturing and chest beating” and declaring it “has never been less respected”.
In a statement following a meeting of hundreds of delegates of the mining and energy division of the union at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley, the division’s president Tony Maher said members were “better off striking our own path” without the construction and forestry divisions of the organisation.
“It is not the union we signed up for,” he said.
“Unions can’t let personal vendettas decide outcomes. Mining and energy workers expect to be represented in their own interests not at the whim of others. There is now an opportunity to break away as our own union. A union of mining and energy workers.”
The decision comes after a long internal battle which led to public spats between members of the mining and construction divisions following construction boss John Setka’s convictions for breaching a family violence intervention order and harassment in 2019.
Relations between the divisions worsened when Setka was accused of “poaching” 200 members from the rival manufacturing wing of the union.
Last year the union’s former national secretary, Michael O’Connor, quit the union, warning that it had become “totally dysfunctional”.
“The organisation has now failed the test of political maturity with people unwilling to work together, listen to each other or compromise for the sake of the organisation and the members’ interests,” he said at the time.
Maher had previously flagged plans to leave the union after he also quit as national president in November. At the time he withdrew the mining division until at least March.
On Monday about 300 national convention delegates from the mining and energy division voted unanimously to apply to the Fair Work Commission to withdraw from the CFMMEU, making it the first to use the federal government’s new demerger laws.
The law, which passed with the support of Labor last year, allowed de-amalgamation after five years. Previously unions which had merged could only seek to de-amalgamate after two years but before five years, after which the merger could not be reversed.
In a statement of delegates on Monday the mining and energy division said its position in the union had become “intolerable”.
“The ruthless use of raw numbers against the smaller divisions; the disrespect and disregard shown to the views of mining and energy workers; and the public undermining of our former national secretary (Michael O’Connor) to settle a personal score, is simply intolerable,” the delegates said.
“It is clear that there is no longer a place of equality and dignity for the mining and energy division within the amalgamated union.”