The coalition,known as the Building Industry Group of Unions (BIG),represents more than 85,000 Victorian workers and includes the CFMEU,Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union,the Electrical Trades Union and the plumbers’ union.
All four play key roles on signature Andrews government projects such as the Metro Tunnel and level-crossing removal projects.
Victoria set up a special parliamentary committee to examine duck hunting,which is expected to hand down its findings and recommendations on August 31. There is speculation it will call for Victoria to follow other states and ban it outright.
Loading
The issue has exposed divisions within Victorian Labor,with blue-collar unions and regional MPs expressing concerns the move would alienate their members and voters who enjoy the practice.
This year,hundreds of ETU workers walked off the Metro Tunnel not long after the government announced the inquiry and flagged concerns among members that the state was trying to limit their favourite outdoor activities.
In a statement,the unions said the Andrews government should not ignore “countless” submissions to the inquiry that supported improving duck and quail hunting rather than banning the “important working-class pursuit”.