June edition
Why I Joined the Queensland Socialists/QANU Rally for Reform/BTG Touch comp report/Reflections Before The High Court Ruling/High Vis/ Israeli Gov Extremism
Queens Wharf powers ahead
by Sam Evans
The biggest construction project Brisbane has seen in a long time is still going ahead strong. The first stage of the Queens Wharf project wrapped up earlier this year, but the second stage, two high-rise residential towers is coming out of the ground now.
This has been a landmark project in sheer size and has also set a benchmark in union representation, wages, and conditions on the job.
It is great to see the Building Trades Group of Unions working together on the job to get the best outcomes for workers.
As it is our labour building this project and all others, the workers deserve a fair cut of the pie, in good wages, super, entitlements and time off to spend with their loved ones.
It is great to see even under Administration, that the mighty CFMEU is still out on the front foot supporting members on the ground through their delegates and organisers, and along with the ETU and PPTEU we are all making sure no worker gets exploited.
There is a long time left on this project yet so keep your eyes peeled to the city skyline and keep reading Hard Hat to see the industry updates that matter to you!
Picket At The Port Of Brisbane
By Ryan Morgan Christison
On the 28th of May after multiple attempts to negotiate, CFMEU members working at the Port of Brisbane voted unanimously to go on strike until their employer QUBE came to the table with better wages and conditions.
Since then a picket has been set up and manned 24/7. With solidarity being shown publicly by numerous local and interstate organisations. QUBE has pushed back at this action by attempting to bring in labour hire. Only to have some of them refuse to be scabs and speak out in solidarity with those whose labour they were sent to replace. Workplace Health & Safety officials have come out to the site in question and issued QUBE with an Improvement notice. CFMEU officials, in the face of security attempting to hinder their access with Entry Permits, have been able to demonstrate that the conditions therein are evidently dangerous.
QUBE is a massive company with a reported enterprise value of over 10 billion dollars. It has shown to date that it is willing to spend money on whatever is necessary to hold back its own workers from being given a fair wage. On Friday the 13th of June it was announced that the striking CFMEU members have voted down the latest offer by QUBE and have shown that with the full support of their union, they are in it to win it. So how much further are QUBE willing to go until they do the right thing?
Why I Joined the Queensland Socialists
by Dan Jones
Editors Note: At HardHat we don’t want to endorse any one party or group. But we will happily accept articles and stories from rank and file unionists who are involved in these groups. As long as they are on our side of course. A longer version of this article will be out on Substack soon.
For as long as I’ve been thinking about the world we live in, there has been one thing I’ve known for certain. Working-class people deserve better; better pay, better conditions, better lives. In recent years though it’s become increasingly clear that our politicians aren’t interested in delivering that. That’s why I’ve joined the Queensland Socialists, a political party built by and for the working class. Unapologetic in its mission to challenge power, fight injustice, and put everyday people before profits.
Our political class is out of touch with the working class because it’s not made up of ordinary people. Parliament is full of lawyers, lobbyists, and career politicians. People who’ve never clocked on, never packed a lunch, and never fought for a pay rise. They don’t understand what it’s like to be on the tools, work night shift, or survive on penalty rates.
Unionism and politics have always gone hand in hand. Every workplace battle, every wage campaign, every fight over safety is grass roots politics in action. Militant unionism, the kind that refuses to beg, that organises and takes collective action, needs political representation that reflects its values and aspirations.
Queensland Socialists don’t just talk about supporting unions, they hit the streets, and they do it. Many of the party’s founding members are organisers, delegates, and rank-and-file activists from a range of unions across every industry. Their platform reflects the core principles of unionism: solidarity, collective action, and the belief that working-class people should control the decisions that affect their lives. That’s why I’ve chosen to join the Queensland Socialists and to work with people that are willing to stand up for the values that we fight for as unionists.
QANU Rally for Reform
By Sinead Carroll
Aesthetic nurses across Queensland have been deeply impacted by recent reinterpretations of the state’s Medicines and Poisons Act, legislation that is not mirrored nationally. Despite genuine and repeated attempts to engage with Members of Parliament and contribute to the consultation process, our voices were not included. We were advised to simply “accept” the changes, despite their significant consequences for nurse-led clinics and the patients we serve.
On Monday, June 10, we held a peaceful rally outside Parliament House in Brisbane to express our concerns and call for a practical, inclusive solution. As registered nurses we felt compelled to speak out. Many of us had our appointments with elected representatives cancelled or ignored, and none were included in formal consultation despite being among those most directly affected.
We are highly trained healthcare professionals committed to safe, patient-centred care. Our message was clear: Queensland needs a viable, regulated pathway such as a Poisons Licence model, already in place in other states that supports both public safety and professional practice.
The rally marked a pivotal moment in our advocacy. We will continue to seek respectful dialogue, fair regulation, and a sustainable future for nurse-led aesthetic care in Queensland.
BTG Touch comp sports report
by Aaron Shaw
This year saw the return of the construction workers touch competition for charity. On Saturday 31st of May, 44 teams made up of workers and bosses from across the industry including trade unions, subcontractors and builders came together to raise money for Mates in Construction. Championed by Camo Paul, it was a massive undertaking for a good cause.
Whether it’s getting out on the field or having a catch up with mates, sport unites the Australian working class. The camaraderie of getting around your favourite team, heated debates on who’s truly the greatest of all time, and nail biting grand finales; sports truly brings us all together throughout the highs and lows of life. And what better way to lift spirits and strengthen our bonds than a friendly game of touch footy?
Those high spirits were well earned. After having to reschedule twice and still the threat of foul weather looming, the games went ahead. It was a wet and wild day, with little sun but plenty of heart and soul. Enough money was raised to pay for a Mates field officer, a staunch victory in the face of the Crisafulli government’s decision to cut funding for the vital service.
Competition just to field a team on the day was fierce with up to 116 teams applying at peak interest. This enthusiasm has carried into next year, with a venue already secured which will be capable of hosting twelve fields and some teams already offering their buy in.
What is a friendly competition without bragging rights? Taking the top spot of the day was United, followed by CFMEU2 and finally Icon Chevron Island for third. The day delivered plenty of belly slides, cheers and some choice stories to tell. Most of all, it brought an industry together. It was a day in which egos and pride were left aside for the greater good. I (and I’m sure many others) look forward to many more years to come.
Reflections Before The Ruling
By Ryan Morgan Christison
The High Court of Australia announced on Friday the 13th of June that they will finally pass a ruling on the Construction & General Division of the CFMEU’s forced administration. The announcement will be on the following Wednesday at 10am in Canberra. This news was leaked to us at Hard Hat and other rank & file organisations across the country a day prior to the official announcement by the High Court. It came via lines of communication which all lead ultimately to members of the Australian Labor Party. This is a fact worth mentioning before one reads further as it sets the tone for this recap of one of the most absurd years in the Australian trade union movement’s history. Whilst it would be inaccurate to say that this saga started on the 14th of July 2024 with the controversial “Building Bad” story that aired on 60 Minutes. The mainstream media, ALP and opposition used this hit-piece as grounds to justify legislation in federal parliament for attacking CFMEU.
Eventually after a month of political theatrics, backroom deals were made by the ALP and LNP. On the 23rd of August 2024, the CFMEU's Construction & General Division was forced into administration. Two hundred and seventy elected CFMEU officials were sacked that same day, demonstrating that a genuine investigation into criminality or due process was never on the cards. Four days later, the first protest against the administration took place. Tens of thousands of trade unionists and their allies took to the streets in cities and towns across the country. The “stood down” QLD leadership of Jade Ingham, Michael Ravbar & Kane Lowth launched their Your Union Your Choice campaign from Brisbane.
The following week saw the first rank & file organisation to formed in Victoria. Named “Defend Unions, Defend the CFMEU” they would go on to cultivate a nation-wide network of other anti-administration trade unionists and groups. Including Democracy on Trial (NSW), The Hard Hat Bulletin (QLD) and others from interstate. With focus being directed at the alleged criminality of the CFMEU’s Construction & General Division and away from his own alleged corruption. National Secretary of the Manufacturing Division Michael O’Connor, capitalised on this media smear campaign. On the 9th of october he submitted an application to the Fair Work Commission to allow his members a vote on taking themselves out of the CFMEU.
The first six months of the administration were a systematic embarrassment for Mark Irving, with the Executive Officers he appointed showing repeatedly they were merely nepotism hires. Some of whom were unable to keep their hands to themselves and allegedly banknotes out of their noses. This incompetence was further realised in Irving’s first official report released in February in which investigations into the QLD/NT branch were only just commencing despite 21 of their elected officials being sacked half a year prior.
Fast forward to mid-April of 2025. Conveniently around the same time as the aforementioned demerger was voted up by the members of the Manufacturing Division. Administrator Mark Irving announced there would be a National Strategic plan for the CFMEU. However the specifics were at the time, “undisclosed,” only later to be revealed as pro-centralisation. On May 1st, Michael Ravbar took to social media and publicly accused Zach Smith of collaborating with the administrator. Smith responded two days later stating that the national plan was his idea that he brought to Irving. Amidst this public back and forth, a letter was drafted and signed on May 2nd. The letter condemned any proposed centralisation of the branches. It was signed by WA’s Branch Secretary Michael Buchan and ACT’s Acting Branch Secretary Michael Hiscox. The latter found himself dismissed from his role by the administrator in the following weeks.
On May 16th independent media site Workplace Express reported that the aforementioned sacked QLD/NT assistant secretary Kane Lowth was deemed “fit and proper” by the Fair Work Commision in April. This granted him permission with restrictions to take up a role in ETU. Making him the first of the “stood down” union leadership to be granted any progression back to work as an official.
On May 28th, a motion to protest and strike was put forward by members of Solidarity in both Brisbane and Melbourne. The former passed unanimously and the latter did not. Within a week of this, retired yet respected trade unionist Ralph Edwards chimed in publicly calling for unity amongst the branches. Arguing frustrations needed to be directed at the administration and its undemocratic strategic plan.
On June 6th the National Steering Committee announced the strategic plan featuring only two elected branch leaders Zach Smith and Michael Buchan. Since this announcement has been made a more concrete wedge has been driven between the north and south. With reports going around that QLD Delegates unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in Zach Smith. He responded publicly the same day claiming to have plenty of support from the Victorian Delegates.
Regardless of who any of us as CFMEU members think are well-intentioned or not, we should focus on the reality outside of all the noise. Some branches have been genuinely affected by an irregular loss of membership. Many companies are refusing to sign EBAs or have become hostile towards the union. Taking advantage of the administration’s presence to get what they want over the workers.
There is a genuine lack of transparency at all levels, both internally and externally in directly administered branches and not. Most importantly however, we as the rank and file need to shift our focus to democratising the union ourselves. Respectfully, without the direction of those who have currently or previously encouraged an alliance with the ALP. A political party that called the army in on striking miners in the 1940’s, deregistered the BLF and established the Accords in the 1980’s. The ALP called for a 50% reduction of union representation in the 2010’s, put us into administration only last year and wastefully spends our dues on ridiculous salaries for their mates. Fuck Labor. Up the CFMEU.
Hi Vis
by Jazz
As a female 3rd year plumbing apprentice and proud member of PPTEU, I’ve had an amazing experience entering the construction industry. Entering the industry later in life, I was prepared to face challenges. Instead what I found was well-unionised Tier 1 sites where respect, safety and good conditions were valued. This made me feel as if I had a place in this industry. I have had amazing support from my co-workers and union throughout my apprenticeship. Yes, there are still things that can be changed to continue building a better industry. But overall, I couldn’t be happier that I made the career change and started a plumbing apprenticeship.
Unfortunately, not every site I have worked on has lived up to this standard. My time on Cross River Rail’s Albert St precinct opened my eyes to the reality many women in construction still face, especially outside of unionised spaces. Female amenities were disrespected, locks broken off, male workers used female amenities, and sanitary bins were left to overflow. A fellow female apprentice even had an offensive sticker placed on her hard hat – a clear sign of the toxic culture the builder let fester on Cross River Rail. It took months of hard work from the safety committee and my HSRs for the builder to bother sitting down with the women on site to address these issues and make changes.
With the CFMEU under administration, and if other unions and their members also lose their democratic rights, I fear my experience on Cross River Rail will become a reality on all sites. Without strong rank-and-file led unions, I believe conditions on sites across the country will slide backwards and undo decades of hard-fought progress and conditions. We need strong, member-led unions to fight the bosses and grubby politicians to maintain safe, respectful and fair workplaces not just for women but for every worker who builds in this country.
Have a coworker who you think needs to have their story told in a High Vis article? Send us a message!
How to fire your boss - Work to Rule
This is the second in HardHats “How to fire you boss” series of workplace organising guides.
Almost every job is covered by a maze of rules, regulations, standing orders and so on, many of them completely unworkable and generally ignored. Workers often violate orders, resort to their own techniques of doing things, and disregard lines of authority simply to meet the goals of the company. There is often a tacit understanding, even by the managers whose job it is to enforce the rules, that these shortcuts must be taken in order to meet production quotas on time.
But what would happen if each of these rules and regulations were followed to the letter? Confusion would result — production and morale would plummet. And best of all, the workers can’t get in trouble with this tactic because they are, after all, “just following the rules.”
Under nationalization, French railroad strikes were forbidden. Nonetheless, railroad workers found other ways of expressing their grievances. One French law requires the engineer to assure the safety of any bridge over which the train must pass. If after a personal examination he is still doubtful, then he must consult other members of the train crew. Of course, every bridge was so inspected, every crew was so consulted, and none of the trains ran on time.
In order to gain certain demands without losing their jobs, the Austrian postal workers strictly observed the rule that all mail must be weighed to see if the proper postage was affixed. Formerly they had passed without weighing all those letters and parcels which were clearly underweight, thus living up to the spirit of the regulation but not to its exact wording. By taking each separate piece of mail to the scales, carefully weighing it, and then returning it to its proper place, the postal workers had the office congested with unweighed mail on the second day.
Union leader arrested in LA protests
On June 6, 2025, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a raid in Los Angeles. ICE charged him with felony conspiracy to impede an officer, but SEIU contends that Huerta was peacefully observing the operation and was assaulted by agents. His arrest sparked widespread protests across California, with unions and community groups demanding an end to ICE raids and the release of detained individuals.
The protests, marked by chants like "¡ICE, pa' fuera!" ("ICE, out!"), spread to over two dozen cities, including New York, Texas, and Chicago. While many demonstrations were peaceful, some escalated into confrontations with law enforcement, leading to the deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles and Texas. The protests have become a symbol of resistance against what activists view as government overreach and the mistreatment of immigrant communities.
Labor unions, particularly SEIU, have played a pivotal role in organizing these protests, highlighting the intersection of workers' rights and immigrant rights. The movement underscores the growing solidarity between labor organizations and immigrant communities in the face of aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
“What happened to me is not about me,” said Huerta in a statement from jail.
“This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that’s happening. Hard working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice.”
Israeli Knesset Extremism
By Angus Kelly
At the time of writing, Israel has begun deporting Greta Thunberg and the 11 activists that accompanied her on the ‘Madleen’, the aid boat destined for Gaza. The crew were rammed and boarded in international waters by the IDF. Just days earlier, Israeli forces fired at civilians lining up to receive aid. Now 600 days since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza the strip is almost completely uninhabitable.
Understanding the grotesque genocidal rhetoric and crimes against humanity being carried out by the Israeli war machine requires not only historic contextual research, but a sound understanding of their modern-day political landscape. A landscape that was founded on an extremist settler colonial ideology. A landscape that paved the way for 75 years of expansion into stolen land, one that has orchestrated a genocide in Gaza.
The Knesset (Israeli Parliament) has 120 seats. A party must have a majority of 61 seats to win power, or form a coalition. No single party has ever formed a 61-seat majority and coalition governments have been a staple of Israeli elections since they began. Coalitions are typically composed of a main ruling party and multiple smaller parties who leverage their positions to push increasingly extremist ideology.
To hold power Netanyahu must work with the extreme right that form the vital factions of his coalition government. Ben Gvir, a member of the Religious Zionist Party formed a coalition alongside various other parties with Netanyahu. He has threatened many times to break the coalition and trigger an election if Netanyahu’s party refuses to yield to his influence. Netanyahu will likely face imprisonment for corruption once he is no longer prime minister and has willingly continued the genocide and worked with the extremist right wingers to ensure he does not face the courts.
If an Australian politician was to reveal, point and aim a loaded weapon at a crowd of unarmed protesters, how would we respond as a nation? Protected by the police, Ben Gvir exclaimed that “If they throw stones, you shoot them!” whilst waving his gun above head. This took place weeks prior to an election that saw Gvir’s party increase their power in the Knesset. This is a man who has been convicted not only of inciting racism and destruction of property but for supporting and possessing material from a registered terrorist organisation.
The window of acceptable political discourse in the Knesset, compared to a country like Australia, is so great it becomes difficult to believe. Whilst Australia has its share of fringe politicians, the likes of Pauline Hanson for example have never been able to gain such a stronghold in the decision-making process of the nation in the same way minor parties in Israel can. Below is an assortment of English and Hebrew-translated quotes from Knesset members, blatantly calling for genocide and the carrying out of severe war crimes. The lack of English transcripts coming from the Knesset has given the west an excuse to ignore the intent so clearly on display.
Heritage Minister, Amichai Eliyahu, “Nuking Gaza is an option”, [we must find] “ways more painful than death” [for Palestinians].
Former Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, “We are fighting human animals, and are acting accordingly.” - “We will end things inside Gaza. I have removed all restraints, [you’re allowed to] attack everything.”
Eleventh president of Israel, Izac Herzog, “It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible. This rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved, it’s absolutely not true.”
Former minister of national security, Omer Bar-Lev, “A complete siege on Gaza. No water, no electricity, no food.”
These brief quotes are a drop in the ocean compared with the rest of the genocidal comments coming from the Knesset. We have here a defense minister reducing the Palestinian people to that of animals, claiming he's removed all restraints (on the IDF), a President of state placing blame on the entire nation and the disgusting suggestion that nuking 2 million people, half of which haven't made it to the age of 25, is a potential option. Finally, the call to stop all necessities of life from reaching civilians. Textbook examples of how to commence genocide. Dehumanise, collectively blame and collectively punish.