“The determination of the Federal Government not to give up on the Ensuring Integrity Bill is welcome and reflects how important it is to the community to stop the worst behaviour of a small number of law-breaking unions,” Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.
“No one is suggesting that a union, or employer organisation for that matter, would be deregistered for paperwork errors and any confusion that this Bill may be applied blithely for small breaches needs to be dispelled. It is designed to only deal with the very worst and repeated illegal activities, bullying and harassment such as that frequently associated with elements of the CFMMEU.
“We need the new laws to end the toxic culture in the construction industry in particular, which ends up costing the community a great deal.
“We urge One Nation and Jacqui Lambie to be open to positively reconsidering the Bill once it is re-tabled and not be distracted by peripheral issues. Unions play an important role in our business and society and the vast majority of unions do the right thing and have nothing whatsoever to fear from this legislation,” Mr Willox said.
