CFMEU secretary rejects findings of report into union's culture

The leadership of the CFMEU Queensland branch has responded to a report accusing them of fostering a culture of violence and intimidation.

Transcript

00:00The allegations were contained in a report into the Queensland CFMEU that was released

00:07on Wednesday and the key takeaway from that report is that the CFMEU has been using violence,

00:14intimidation and threats as a means of coercion.

00:18Now within the report it details many examples of threatening behaviour towards women in

00:23particular and is particularly critical of a widespread misogyny within the ranks of

00:29the CFMEU.

00:31One specific example also includes a government minister who felt so threatened by union officials

00:36that they actually had to have bolstered security.

00:40The report makes it clear that it blames union leadership for this kind of behaviour and in

00:45particular Secretary Michael Radbar and Assistant Secretary Jade Ingham.

00:51Those two men did not take part in the investigation itself, they declined to be part of it, however

00:57Mr Radbar has since issued a statement in response.

01:00Now he has called the report specifically riddled with errors and based on selective and untested

01:09accounts and he says that the findings that the leadership were able to shape the CFMEU is

01:14is basically an oversimplification of how the union works and the kind of influence that the leadership

01:22has on the culture there.

01:24Now he has also denied specific accusations that he himself engaged in threatening behaviour

01:30towards a female public servant saying that the incident in question did not occur.

01:36Now the Queensland Council of Trade Unions has spoken up as well saying they're deeply disappointed by the

01:41contents of the report and has called on the two men to apologise for their behaviour.

01:47They say it's been deeply damaging to the reputation of the union movement but has called for the

01:54CFMEU to remain saying that Queensland construction workers need strong representation and they need

02:01a seat at the table and without the union they won't have that.

02:06Now that seems to also be the feeling of the man who commissioned this report, the current

02:12administrator of the CFMEU, who says although these allegations are very distressing, the real

02:17change within the CFMEU Queensland branch is possible, Lorna.

02:21Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:22Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:23Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:24Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:25Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:26Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:27Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:28Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:29Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:30Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:31Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:32Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:33Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.

02:34Now that seems to be the same as possible, Lorna.