Proposed super union draws criticism

Two of Australia's most powerful unions are looking to join forces, drawing criticism from industry and government alike.

The union movement in Australia pretty much started with the arrival of the First Fleet. In 1791, convicts went on strike, demanding daily issue of rations, as opposed to weekly. In 1830, the Shipwrights Union was formed, followed closely by the Boatbuilders Union in 1831, then Cabinetmakers united in 1833.

From 1850 to 1900 there was a flurry of union activity, including the passing of the NSW Trade Union Act in 1881. Ever since, the trade union movement has been integral in all matters employment related including: wages, working conditions, annual and long service leave, paid public holidays, safety, compensation and other issues that impact on the rights and working lives of Australian workers.

In the mid-1970s, around half of Australia's workforce belonged to a union and that figure fell to around a quarter by the middle of the early 2000s, which was also a particularly volatile time for Australian industrial relations.

The recent announcement of a proposed merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) drew immediate criticism from the federal government, with Employment Minister Michaelia Cash quoted as saying the merger should "send shivers down the spine of all Australians" given the "significantly disturbing history" of the two unions.

National Secretary of the MUA Paddy Crumlin told ABC News that unions are facing great threats and that better financial and legal resources can be achieved through the economies of scale resulting from such a merger. No doubt that the CFMEU's starring role in a Royal Commission into union corruption is having an impact, with calls aplenty that the union should be deregistered due to what seems to be mounting evidence of unlawful behaviour.

The proposed merger would result in Australia's biggest union — current CFMEU numbers are around 100,000 and MUA somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000, according to reports. The merger will be put before MUA members at the national conference in February next year.

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