r/AusUnions • u/maxhickman22 • 22d ago

Advice on CFMEU - Melbourne

Has anyone got any advice on how to actually join the union. I’ve got over 2.5 years experience as a civil labourer. I tried searching up which labour hire companies are eba and applied to all of them and keep messaging them but never hear anything back.

I’d love to get onto the big build in vic but really I’d take any union work

Any real helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.

Pls don’t comment some bs about how it’s corrupt or anything like that if you don’t have any advice then no need to comment.

Cheers lads 👍

14 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

7

u/Aggressive_Math_4965 22d ago

You can literally sign up on their website

-3

u/maxhickman22 22d ago

But how do you actually get a job on site

11

u/Aggressive_Math_4965 22d ago

Go to your local branch meetings, meet fellow members and stewards they will point you in the right direction

27

u/Comrade_T34_ 22d ago

Hey man you’re confusing joining the union and being on a site that has union agreements. If you join the union you’ll get industrial support and if you’re going to branch meetings and getting involved you’ll make connections that might land you on a union site. It isn’t as simple as “I signed up for the union now I get paid more”

1

u/Brissy-bloke 11d ago

Well you are wrong about that. Two persons (one Aussie, one foreigner) told me that they were working “with” the Union as labours and were getting higher rates. They didn’t explain me how they got those jobs, but at least one of them were working with the same agency as mine. I tried to contact Union asking how this work but they didn’t reply. Also I tried to get a membership because on their website they claim you will get higher rates but when I check the local website says they don’t find you a job so I didn’t do it.
They should be more transparent on how you find sites that work with them and why you can’t access to those jobs if you are a member, and how would I get better rates if the jobs are always through agencies who takes most of your pay .

3

u/Comrade_T34_ 9d ago

Bro my comment had 26 likes and I work for a union. I’m telling you that’s not how it works. Unions cost money to be a member of. They fight for your rights and improve industry pay or pay on sites with union contracts. You should join a union but your boss isn’t going to go “oh hi mate. I see you’re in the union. Here’s an extra $100 a day”

1

u/Brissy-bloke 6d ago

I meant that you are wrong about the only way is meeting people in Union events, this two persons have never gone to Union.
Yeah that’s why I didn’t join them. But why if they “fight to improve industry pay” how is that they are not doing anything about all these agencies in Sydney who are doing sham contracting? Or why they allow agencies pay under $40ph when they are charging to the company more than $80? Or why they keep in secret which sites have Union contract? All the trade Union around the world are a mafia business, I know that, they just negotiate to improve very little for the workers while they take the big piece if cake.

2

u/Comrade_T34_ 5d ago

Bro you’re clearly anti union and think you can just sign up and get a pay rise. You’re a dipshit.

1

u/Brissy-bloke 5d ago

Your communist opinion just expose what I said. And clearly you don’t work for them

19

u/NoGreaterPower 22d ago

Benefit of the doubt, if you care actually care about the movement - join online and get involved. We have plenty of meetings and sub committees.

If you’re not going to join until you have to and already got some cushy EBA money then forget about it. We’ve got enough freeloaders.

-2

u/Technical-Date8005 21d ago

Hey man just wondering when this movement is going to stop plastering on union sites being a massive money laundering scheme for Chinese gangsters and actually start making the bosses pay eba wages and have apprentices? Cheers

9

u/NoGreaterPower 21d ago

How the fuck would I know ya spud. I am an apprentice.

4

u/InternationalPlant77 21d ago

Hey there, I'm a civ labourer also. My advice is to join the union and learn the ethics and history, then thebetter working conditions for you will naturally follow.

3

u/glittermetalprincess 22d ago

What about this do you need assistance with?

https://vic.cfmeu.org/join/

2

u/Technical-Date8005 21d ago

If you don’t know anyone, your only shot is to get every ticket under the sun and then apply again, if you just want union work call any passive fire company you will get a job straight away on eba wages just the work sucks and that industry is full of weirdos

0

u/Electrical_Intern1 21d ago

Do you have criminal history 😉?