This is because under the CFMEU’s structure,the state branches effectively control the national union and elect its officers.
The problem is that in much of the country,the state branches have been riddled with poor behaviour as the joint investigation by this masthead and60 Minutes has revealed over the past few days.
Setka’s branch ran the union in Victoria,South Australia and Tasmania. In NSW,Greenfield remains in his role as leader even as ACTU secretarySally McManus on Monday called for him to be stood down pending the outcome of his charges.
The issues in Greenfield’s case are separate to other allegations of wrongdoing raised by the joint investigation,and there is no suggestion he is guilty of an offence,only that he is facing charges of corruption that he has denied.
Still,it is people like Setka and Greenfield who handpicked Zach Smith for his national union role.
He’s now telling us he’s the man to lead a process to weed out corruption,cronyism and organised crime involvement that has flourished,in particular under Setka’s reign.