Anthony Albanese says John Setka has has “no legitimate place in the Labor movement” after the powerful union figure resigned as secretary of the Victorian branch of the CFMEU.
The prime minister’s comments came after reports were published on Saturday by Nine newspapers into alleged criminal links within the construction industry and the union.
Setka resigned on Friday, claiming he had been the target of “ongoing false allegations” which had led to “malicious attacks” on the organisation. He said in a statement that he would step down immediately from the position he had held for 12 years.
On Saturday, the prime minister spoke about Setka’s 2019 exit from the Labor party “in my first few weeks as Labor leader”.
“John Setka has no legitimate place in the Labor movement,” Albanese said.
“Trade unions exist to look after workers, to look after their wages and conditions and health and safety.”
In a statement, a Victorian government spokesperson described the allegations as “extremely serious” and said they needed to be investigated by the appropriate authorities.
The CFMEU statement claimed Setka’s decision was “in response to the ongoing and relentless stories written with multiple allegations whether true or not about this great union”.
Setka said: “These stories have been constant, and while I’ve been the target of many of them, enough is enough, the ongoing false allegations continually do nothing but harm the work this great union does for its members.”
The union statement did not detail exactly which media reporting had prompted the decision. .
Setka’s statement continued: “If my stepping down can stop these malicious attacks on our members and officials and allow this great union to continue to fight for our members, for their wages and conditions, so that they go home safely to their families each day, then I’m happy.
“No individual is greater than the union, this union is and always should be about the members.
“I depart knowing I leave this union in the very capable hands of the National Office and Victorian Executive to continue the work for our members,” Setka’s statement said on Friday night.
“To the members of the CFMEU, you have made me incredibly proud, and it has been an honour and privilege to be your secretary, for that I say thank you.”
Setka had already spoken of his decision earlier this year to not renominate for the CFMEU secretary position.
Setka hit headlines again last month after he demanded the AFL sack Stephen McBurney, the head of its umpiring department and former commissioner of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), and threatened shutdowns on league-linked building sites unless it complied.
Federal parliament recently passed new laws to break up the CFMEU, which would have allowed the manufacturing division to leave the broader union.
The industrial relations minister, Tony Burke, said at the time that Setka’s comments about the AFL – which he called an “attack” – had been the impetus for that legislation.
Setka had quit the Labor party in 2019 after a long-running dispute with Albanese, who had sought to expel the union official from the party over alleged remarks about domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty – claims Setka denied.
In 2019 Albanese claimed Setka had “demonstrated values that were not consistent with the values which the Australian Labor Party holds dear”.
