NSW CFMEU assistant secretary Michael Greenfield resigns

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The assistant secretary of the CFMEU’s New South Wales branch, Michael Greenfield has resigned as corruption allegations continue to swirl around the union.

Transcript

00:00Michael Greenfeld has released a statement yesterday detailing some of his reasons for

00:06stepping down from his role at the CFMEU.

00:09That includes, quote, weeks of sensationalised media reporting and relentless government

00:14scrutiny.

00:15He says that's placed pressure on his family, so he'll be stepping away in order to protect

00:19them.

00:20Michael Greenfeld, of course, is the son of the CFMEU's boss here in New South Wales,

00:24Darren Greenfeld.

00:26And they've been under intense scrutiny after nine newspapers' investigation detailed a

00:30number of allegations about the union, including here in New South Wales, allegations of thousands

00:35of dollars in cash being handed over in order to shore up union support.

00:39Michael Greenfeld has always maintained his innocence when it comes to those bribery allegations.

00:44He says they've been inflated and agitated and undermined his right to presumed innocence.

00:50This is a fraught time for the union.

00:52This week, the ABC has obtained footage from a Brisbane worksite looking at some of those

00:57abusive tactics undertaken by the union.

01:00One former contractor who now works in the mental health space has also detailed his

01:04experiences of assault, threats and abuse, being told by workers that they would end

01:10his career if he spoke to regulators.

01:13New South Wales Premier Chris Mins has also put pressure on both Greenfeld men to step

01:18down.

01:19There's been massive scrutiny on both of them at both the state and federal level.

01:22We heard a bit earlier today from the Federal Workplace Relations Minister, Murray Watt.

01:27He said he'd like to see Darren Greenfeld step down as well.

01:30Here he is speaking a little bit earlier about the changes he'd like to see at the union.

01:35If our scheme of administration can be appointed through this legislation, then it would enable

01:39a much wider reform of the CFMEU construction division and remove a number of office bearers

01:46and officials from the union who have been causing trouble and criminality and violence

01:50and thuggery for far too long.

01:53The federal government is introducing laws this week in order to appoint an administrator

01:57to the union after it failed to do so in time.

02:00We've also heard from Greens Sarah Hanson-Young who says that she's keen to see change at

02:05the union, however wants to see the laws properly debated first.

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