The House of Representative has this evening passed the Albanese Government's legislation to put the CFMEU's construction division and branches into administration, accepting the amendments won by the Opposition in the Senate.
Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt is holding parallel negotiations with the Greens and the Opposition in a bid to muster support to pass legislation clearing the way to appoint an administrator to the CFMEU's construction division.
The HSU has removed Victorian No. 1 branch secretary Diana Asmar from its national executive until the FWC concludes an investigation into her conduct, but says she is refusing to stand aside from her branch leadership role.
A notable difference between the federal legislation putting the CFMEU's construction division into administration and the FWC general manager's court application is that the former takes control of all state and territory branches, according to labour law academic Anthony Forsyth.
Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has this morning introduced legislation empowering him to put the CFMEU's construction and general division and its branches in the hands of an administrator.
An IR legal expert predicts the Federal Court case seeking to put the CFMEU construction division's national office and four branches into administration will not be required if federal legislation to be introduced this week mirrors a NSW bill.
Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has joined the HSU national executive in calling for the secretary of the union's Victoria No 1 branch, Diana Asmar, to stand aside pending the outcome of a FWC investigation into alleged financial irregularities.
FWC general manager Murray Furlong's bid to install an administrator in CFMEU construction division branches has hit a minor speed hump at its first court outing, with the presiding judge standing aside because he prosecuted officeholders when he acted as a barrister for the ABCC and its predecessors.
The Minns Government in NSW is moving this week to put an administrator into the CFMEU construction and general division's State-registered branch for up to five years.
Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has this afternoon called on the CFMEU's "rogue" construction division to cooperate with FWC general manager Murray Furlong's Federal Court bid to put four of its branches into administration, while making it clear that he will intervene to support the application and reiterating that he will legislate for the same result if the union resists.