Premier Jacinta Allan has asked the ALP national executive to suspend the union's construction arm from the Victorian Labor Party amid allegations of infiltration by bikie gang members and organised crime figures.
"What we have seen here in recent days isn't unionism, it's thuggish, unacceptable behaviour at its worst," Ms Allan told reporters on Monday.
"The union itself has acknowledged that it needs to fix its conduct and shouldn't have anything to do with the Victorian branch of the Labor Party until it does."
Ms Allan has written to the Victorian Labor's state secretary to request the party immediately stop accepting political donations from the CFMEU.
Statement from the Premier. — Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) pic.twitter.com/1GKcRPg8txJuly 15, 2024
The allegations have been referred to Victoria Police and the state's anti-corruption watchdog, with the Allan government vowing to toughen anti-bikie laws and establish an independent review to strengthen the powers of state agencies.
She also wants the federal government to exercise its powers under the Fair Work Act to review and potentially terminate enterprise agreements on Victorian construction sites to prevent criminal activity.
Nine has published a series of damning newspaper and television reports following a months-long investigation into criminal links in the construction division of the CFMEU.
The union says it will co-operate with any police and corruption investigations into misconduct. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
Victorian union boss John Setka stood down from his position on Friday, citing "false accusations" and "malicious attacks".
The national executive of the CFMEU has put the Victorian branch into administration but its national secretary Zach Smith opposes deregistration.
"We should be careful about denying workers and construction workers a voice in the political process," he told AAP.
Mr Smith said he didn't know how any potential termination of an enterprise bargaining agreement would work on a practical level.
The union will co-operate with any police and corruption investigations but the donations ban was not a priority for him at this point, he said.
Ms Allan denied she had been "asleep at the wheel" as the state's transport infrastructure minister from 2018 to 2023.
"During my time as minister and now as premier, I have been absolutely clear that I have no tolerance at all for bullying, intimidatory behaviour in any workplace, in any part of our state," she said.
Ms Allan said she didn't know Mr Sekta well despite attending the 2023 funeral of his father, a labourer who survived the 1970 West Gate Bridge collapse.
Any CFMEU official under criminal investigation should consider their position and stand down pending the result, she said.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said his state's CFMEU secretary Darren Greenfield "should go" while facing bribery charges.
"Clearly these are very serious charges," he said.
Chris Minns says allegations made to NSW agencies will go to the industrial relations inspectorate. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)
"They're before the court, they couldn't be more serious, and it's hard to think or see how he can continue in that role."
Mr Minns said there was no room for criminality in the construction sector and any allegations made to NSW agencies would be referred to the state industrial relations inspectorate.
He suggested no political donations had been made by the union to NSW Labor since he demanded Mr Greenfield be suspended from the party in 2021.
"We won't take donations from them other than affiliation fees," he said.
Queensland Public Works Minister Meaghan Scanlon said she was concerned by the claims of bullying and standover tactics and similarly called for anyone with allegations of criminal wrongdoing to come forward.
