Construction manager claims CFMEU halted Melbourne rail bridge project
On 10 November, a construction manager testified before the Victorian royal commission that the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union halted work on a Melbourne rail bridge project and demanded the appointment of union-linked labour-hire and safety representatives before work could resume. The commission, which opened its first public hearings on 2 November, is investigating alleged collusion between the state government and the CFMEU over the Big Build infrastructure programme. Earlier hearings have examined the union’s influence on the Gap Road level-crossing removal project, potential cost inflation of more than $400 million, and the union’s ties to the Labor government.