Following the news yesterday that the Fair Work Commission had approved the merger of the CFMEU and the MUA, Master Builders Australia responded by issuing a statement stressing the detrimental effect such a merger would have for jobs and the economy.

Master Builders CEO Denita Wawn said, “Allowing the CFMEU and MUA to form a new militant ‘super-union’ will put the economy and jobs in jeopardy.”

“The creation of a militant ‘super-union’ is a backwards step that will have far-reaching consequences for the construction industry and the community,” she said.

“No government – Labor or Coalition would allow a corporate merger which resulted in the formation of an entity with the capacity to shut down multiple supply chains and effectively hold the economy to ransom. But this is exactly what this decision will create,” Ms Wawn said.

“The MUA and CFMEU appear to share a common belief that they are above the law and are renowned for using tactics such as bullying, intimidation, and industrial thuggery on anyone who disagrees with them. Merging these two unions … will see these illegal tactics become more prevalent, giving them even greater power to coerce business, put jobs at risk and bring the economy to a standstill,” Denita Wawn said.

“The community has every right to question how two of the most militant unions in Australian history could be allowed to get bigger,” she said.

“It is hard to imagine any other situation where a merger with ramifications so dire would be allowed to happen, and the community has every reason to hold serious concerns about what this means for them,” Denita Wawn said.

You can read the full text of the media release here.