CFMEU Members March in Sydney and Melbourne Amidst Biker Expulsion Vows
CFMEU Rallies Draw Thousands in Major Cities
Good afternoon, and thanks for following our live coverage of today’s CFMEU rallies in Melbourne and Sydney.
Melbourne Rally Highlights
Melbourne CFMEU members started their rally at Trades Hall today. CBD streets became a sea of high-vis as thousands made their way to Flagstaff Gardens. The Electrical Trades Union’s Victorian secretary Troy Gray was a key speaker at the Melbourne event. He said a proposed 72-hour stoppage could cripple construction in the state. “We put the industry on notice,” he said. Workplace Minister Murray Watt has not committed to intervening on the Electrical Trade Union’s threat of a wildcat strike.
Gray also noted that bikies only represented a fraction of the total membership, assuring the enthusiastic crowd: “There has been no better union official than John Setka.” Victoria Police estimated 25,000 attendees at the rally in Melbourne, with no arrests reported.
Sydney March Assessment
About 5000 CFMEU members and their comrades also downed tools in Sydney to rally at Belmore Park, where mounted police kept close watch as chants of “union power” echoed. NSW Police reported no arrests, focusing primarily on crowd management. The Sydney protesters marched to NSW Parliament, where ousted CFMEU state secretary Darren Greenfield addressed claims against him, stating: “People have been trying to muddy my name for 45 f---ing years.”
CFMEU delegate Denis McNamara, facing accusations of misconduct, urged for “discipline” and “no abuse of media”. He anticipated an intensified struggle against the federal government regarding the appointment of an administrator. Union leader Paul McAleer described the legislation removing CFMEU’s leadership as undemocratic, claiming it was aimed at “handcuffing the fighting, militant trade union.”
NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd joined the union leaders outside NSW Parliament.
NSW Police is yet to determine how many participated in Sydney’s rally but confirmed no arrests were made.
Wrapping Up Live Coverage on CFMEU Rallies
And that’s all for our live coverage of the CFMEU rallies today. Thanks for reading.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.