1. HERALDSUN.COM.AU FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015 NEWS 21
V1 - MHSE01Z01MA
Unions
losing
muscleBuilders fighting back
THE no-ticket, no-start cul-
ture on Melbourne’s building
sites is weakening as the
CFMEU avoids industrial dis-
putes while under the spotlight
of a royal commission, an in-
dustry figure says.
Non-union labour is in-
creasingly being employed on
tier-two construction sites in a
direct challenge to the union’s
power and influence.
Chris Mazzotta, director of
Independent Contractors, said
builders were standing up to
the union’s intimidation.
“Builders aren’t going to
tolerate the bulls--t,” he told
the Herald Sun.
“All they want to know is if
the workers have proof of pub-
lic liability, WorkCover and
superannuation. Some haven’t
even asked if workers are fi-
nancial union members.”
Mr Mazzotta, who has been
seen as a union buster on Mel-
bourne construction sites since
1987, said his company was
getting more work.
He wrote to members of his
Builders Alliance Group last
week, detailing the impact of
the Royal Commission into
Union Governance and Cor-
ruption on Melbourne’s con-
struction industry.
“I have no doubt the
CFMEU has been instructing
their organisers and shop stew-
ards to take a more low-key
approach on construction
sites,” Mr Mazzotta wrote.
The CFMEU said in re-
sponse to questions about its
influence on the local industry
that it had increased member-
ships. “While Tony Abbott has
spent $80 million of taxpayers’
money attacking unions, an
extra 1000 workers have
joined the CFMEU Vic branch
this year alone,” it said in a
statement.
The change on Melbourne’s
building sites comes after evi-
dence at the commission led to
criminal charges against for-
mer CFMEU organiser Halafi-
hi “Fihi” Kivalu in Canberra
this month, where he was ac-
cused of taking more than
$150,000 in unauthorised pay-
ments from builders.
The Herald Sun under-
stands that Victorian builders
now fear they could be called
to the royal commission if they
cave to unreasonable or alleg-
edly illegal union demands.
The royal commission re-
turns to Sydney for four weeks,
beginning on Tuesday.
The union has yet to begin
bargaining for a new pay deal
with the Master Builders As-
sociation of Victoria.
stephen.drill@news.com.au
@steveheraldsun
STEPHEN DRILL
WORKPLACE REPORTER
DRINK TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH
THE Aussie beer gut is
getting a bad rap according to
a Melbourne couple who say
amber ale can be part of a
balanced diet.
With jobs that could have
many couples at odds —
nutritionist Deborah
Harrison and her beer-
brewing husband, Glenn,
have used their expertise to
devise a health program that
includes beer.
“Beer alone will not make
you fat,” Mrs Harrison said.
“But if a guy walks into a
pub with a large stomach,
everyone straight away says,
‘Look at his beer gut’.
“Nobody thinks about the
chicken parma and chips, the
Whopper meal or chocolate
sundae that might have
contributed to it.’’
Mrs Harrison explained
that she was inspired to
create her “Drink Beer Be
Healthy’’ program to
highlight a serious health
issue in a relaxed approach
with a focus on men’s health.
Mr Harrison is head
brewer at Temple Brewery in
Brunswick East. The brewery
won the best pale ale at the
Australian International
Beer Awards earlier this year.
“We both enjoy our beer
but you just need to
understand how it impacts
your body,” Mrs Harrison
said.
Livelifefitness.com.au
Deborah and Glenn Harrison have forged an unusual partnership. Picture: DAVID CAIRD
AARON LANGMAID
Unhappy
council to
go alone
ANDREW JEFFERSON
FRANKSTON Council has
announced it will suspend its
membership of the Municipal
Association of Victoria over
governance concerns.
The City of Melbourne,
which only rejoined in 2012,
has expressed similar concerns
but has decided to renew its
membership of Victoria’s peak
local government body.
The MAV has been under
the spotlight since February
after a damning Auditor-Gen-
eral’s report slammed it for in-
adequate processes to deal
with fraud and corruption and
lacking proper accountability.
The MAV receives about
$9 million a year in funding, in-
cluding $2.6 million in mem-
bership fees from local
councils and $6.2 million in
grants.
Frankston Mayor Sandra
Mayer said the decision to sus-
pend its MAV membership
was “not taken lightly”.
“Within local government
we need an effective MAV;
however, the Victorian Audi-
tor-General’s Office (VAGO)
report has highlighted some
unacceptable governance and
management issues in the
MAV which need to be ad-
dressed before Frankston City
Council will resume member-
ship,” Cr Mayer said.
A key finding of the VAGO
report was the MAV had been
unable to demonstrate wheth-
er its support activities were
contributing to the effective
and efficient operation of
councils. With Frankston pay-
ing a $58,000 subscription fee,
Cr Mayer said it could not jus-
tify spending ratepayers’
money on MAV membership
without change.
MAV President Cr Bill
McArthur said Frankston was
the only one of 79 councils that
chose to suspend its member-
ship.
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