Yesterday
- Analysis
- Building Bad
Lendlease’s convenient, lucrative alliance with the CFMEU
Allegations of wrongdoing on construction sites raise the question: Do big contractors enable and profit from union thuggery?
- Aaron Patrick
This Month
Dustin Martin’s ex-bikie uncle faces deportation in CFMEU crackdown
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil cancelled the visa of the former Rebels president – and Dustin Martin’s uncle – on character grounds following reports of underworld infiltration in the construction industry.
- David Marin-Guzman
Fear of CFMEU reprisals keeps building bosses silent
Major builders and developers say union power is driving up the cost of housing and infrastructure projects, and they don’t want more trouble on their sites.
- Michael Bleby, Nick Lenaghan and Larry Schlesinger
CFMEU boss allegedly boasted of corrupt connections to $94b Cbus
Police allege a CFMEU official told corrupt building firms he could secure them lucrative jobs on projects financed by the superannuation giant.
- Nick McKenzie, David Marin-Guzman and Ben Schneiders
Transurban’s Queensland office shake-up leads to departures
The branch, which manages six toll roads, is losing more senior staff following a restructure and investigation into whistleblower complaints.
- Jenny Wiggins
Labor rules giving building unions more powers on projects
The construction industry in Queensland is worried about state policies that benefit the CFMEU, but which will saddle consumers with great costs.
- Michael Bleby, James Hall and David Marin-Guzman
Construction industry ‘much more respectful’ in WA
The Western Australian Labor government is unlikely to follow moves by eastern states to impose compulsory requirements for union agreements.
- Tom Rabe
Apartment starts fall to 11-year low
Industry groups say the extra costs of construction union agreements compound rising materials and financing costs to make housing projects unprofitable.
- Michael Bleby
‘Not a threat, it’s very real’: CFMEU retaliation tactics in focus
Victorian firms strong-armed into signing enterprise bargaining agreements say they are too afraid of speaking out against the CFMEU for fear of reprisals.
- Ronald Mizen
- Exclusive
- Building Bad
Albanese to push aside CFMEU bosses
The Albanese government will seek to appoint an external administrator to clean up the CFMEU, sidelining its national and state leaders. The MUA is also considering whether to split from the CFMEU.
- David Marin-Guzman, Phillip Coorey, Hannah Wootton and Gus McCubbing
‘We can’t even dictate contractors’: NSW builders eye EBA changes
Contractors in Australia’s largest state say they have lost influence to the main construction union.
- Michael Bleby
- Analysis
- Building Bad
‘The dam is breaking’: Setka resignation blow to culture of fear
The CFMEU boss’ departure was a shock even to his own officials, but it is a watershed moment for the culture of silence and intimidation that has ruled the construction industry.
- David Marin-Guzman
Setka quits CFMEU effective immediately
Powerful CFMEU boss John Setka has quit the union ahead of explosive allegations regarding misconduct involving himself and the union.
- David Marin-Guzman
- Exclusive
- Queensland residential property
CFMEU conditions risk pushing up Queensland build costs by a third
Restrictive CFMEU conditions on Queensland sites risk dragging out work and making apartment buildings up to 33 per cent more expensive to build, a new analysis says.
- David Marin-Guzman
Samsung workers strike ‘indefinitely’ in global chip risk
The union of 30,000 workers will go on strike in action that may snowball to trigger similar responses across a recovering tech and chip industry.
- Sohee Kim and Shinhye Kang
Heart Research Institute fights claim it ousted whistle-blower
The Heart Research Institute faces allegations it pushed out its former head of cardiovascular research because he raised concerns about underpayment of funds and conduct of board members.
- Max Mason
- Exclusive
- Property investment
CFMEU deal helps add 10pc to apartment costs
The CFMEU’s latest wages deal for NSW will increase labour costs by up to 19 per cent in the first year alone, a new analysis finds.
- David Marin-Guzman
- Opinion
- Working from home
This is the new normal of office life
Flexible working patterns in a decent place that makes it easy to do the job you’re paid for is a basic recipe for success in a post-pandemic world.
- Updated
- Pilita Clark
- Exclusive
- Electricity
$2.3b energy project faces cost blowouts
The problems plaguing the EnergyConnect scheme add to major delays at other projects key to Australia’s energy transition including the $12 billion Snowy 2.0.
- Jenny Wiggins and Angela Macdonald-Smith
‘The port would stop’: Fremantle workers threaten to walk off job
Western Australia’s largest container port could grind to a halt next week if a small group of key staff stop work over a pay dispute.
- Tom Rabe
