The Manufacturing Division has split from the CFMEU and formed the Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union (TFTU), after winning a majority vote via an AEC-run ballot. The Manufacturing Division was previously the section of the CFMEU representing workers in various manufacturing industries such as forestry, pulp and paper, textiles, clothing, and footwear.
Speaking to ABC Radio Breakfast, Michael O’Connor, (previous National Secretary of the Manufacturing Division) stated that efforts to form an independent union began in earnest after accusations were made public against John Setka in 2018. Corruption within the construction division has been widely cited as the main reason for the split.
This split was facilitated by legislation passed recently which allowed union divisions to demerge, a law which aims to make it easier to split unions. O’Connor thanked politicians such as Jacquie Lambie and Tony Burke for supporting the law, while attacking Adam Bandt and the Greens for opposing it. It is no mistake that the supporters of this demerger attack the Greens: while the Greens are lax on workers issues, they correctly identified CFMEU administration as being an attack on the working class, and correctly opposed it and legislation intended to bust unions.
Claims of “majority support” for the demerger seem to be dubious at most. Sarah Missen of Disputes Report reported on April 16th that only 42% of the Manufacturing Division’s eligible membership took part in the vote. In a union of slightly over nine thousand, only four thousand participating in this ballot does not indicate that there is widespread support amongst the rank-and-file for de-coupling from the CFMEU.
Union demergers are rarely done to strengthen the movement, and are instead are done to support the interests of particular union bureaucrats. In the case of the TFTU, this demerger is being carried out to the benefit of the Manufacturing Division’s leadership, which has long been disaffected with Setka and the mainline CFMEU. It is no surprise, then, that the demerger is given glowing praise by industry and pro-boss press. This follows a previous demerger by the Energy and Mining sections of the CFMEU, which split years earlier. These previous demergers were also cheered on by the capitalist press, and in particular industry press run by the bosses.
This is a critical blow to trade union unity at a time when the ACTU’s disastrous leadership is making the union movement tear at the seams, aided by the ALP’s forced administration over the CFMEU. Justified with glowing platitudes of “independence”, this demerger is instead an attack against the unity of the working class, sowing divisions between workers where none exist, on the grounds of an “anti-corruption” crusade against the CFMEU’s construction division.
For background, see: Behind the push to demerge manufacturing division from CFMEU (GL1423, Feb 5 2025)
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