CFMEU push to take control of the Labor Party

“A powerful union whose members are very loyal to them scares the bejesus out of the other factions,” they said.

“It will be of concern to those who don’t align with the CFMEU in the short term and long term.”

Victorian Labor Party members have voting rights on the premier and preselections. The full influence of 1000 members will depend on their location because party delegates to conferences require the support of 30 rank-and-file members in their area.

However, the CFMEU push may be too late to influence preselections next year before the 2026 state election because members gain voting rights only after two years.

The union will also be under new leadership because Mr Setka, who prime minister Anthony Albanese moved to kick out of the Labor Party in 2019, has announced his resignation after union elections in August.

Union sources said Mr Setka framed the move at the meeting, hosted by the state nurses and midwives union, as a way for the CFMEU to change policy and fight bosses through legislation rather than in disputes on building sites. Although the CFMEU is industrially strong, it is not so strong politically because it sits outside the dominant factions.

CFMEU national secretary Zach Smith said “like all affiliated unions, the CFMEU uses our voice within the Labor Party so we can push for policies that create a fairer society not only for our members, but all working people”.

“I’ve been very up front about wanting to pull Labor to the left on economics and that’s just one area that we’ll keep making our views clear on to governments across Australia,” he said.

“Having more union delegates involved in the ALP is a good thing for the party, given their wealth of experience representing the interests of working people day in, day out.”

Bikie link

The CFMEU Victoria branch’s ranks include Mongols bikie member Tyrone Bell, who was photographed with Mr Setka late last year as one of the branch’s newly elected delegates.

The Victorian move follows the dominant Socialist Left faction proposing to remove Labor members’ right to vote on the premier after a battle to replace Daniel Andrews almost extended into a month-long election campaign.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union is also proposing to remove the right of rank-and-file members to preselect Labor candidates for their Legislative Council region.

The Labor Right and the Industrial Left, which the CFMEU is a part of, strongly oppose the motions.

Labor sources said the CFMEU push was also probably in response to a perception that the current Labor Party membership does not respect traditional blue-collar values.

Last year, the CFMEU and other blue-collar unions threatened to ban MPs from building sites if the Victorian government banned duck hunting, as recommended by a Labor-led parliamentary inquiry.

The proposed duck hunting ban was seen as a wake-up call for the industrial unions.

“Look at the outer suburbs where a lot of CFMEU members live, and they’re turning to minor parties [independent and right parties] because we’re focusing too much on inner-city issues,” a party source said.

Mr Setka’s move echoes Maritime Union of Australia leader Christy Cain’s push in 2013 to lead a “grassroots” takeover of the Labor West Australian branch by intending to sign up 2000 of the union’s 5000 members to the Labor Party.