John Setka shirtfronts AFL over umpire boss Stephen McBurney

[angelopetraglia]

The AFL has strongly backed its head of umpiring Stephen McBurney after Victorian CFMEU leader John Setka demanded his sacking, with employers accusing the construction union of trying to hold the league to ransom.

Business groups said they were appalled by Mr Setka threatening to wage a ?work to rule? campaign against the AFL on any league-related projects, including the proposed Tasmanian stadium, unless the league sacked Mr McBurney as its head of umpiring.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Mr Setka of trying to stand over the AFL, and challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to condemn the union leader?s conduct.

Mr Setka said the union would not cooperate with the AFL to address any delays or cost overruns on league-related projects until Mr McBurney, who as Australian Building and Construction Commissioner initiated legal action that resulted in millions of dollars of penalties against the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, was sacked as the AFL umpires boss.

In a statement on Wednesday, the AFL said it hoped any action by the CFMEU did not impact players, supporters or the wider community who benefitted from upgrades to local clubrooms and our stadiums.

?Steve McBurney umpired 401 games, including four AFL grand finals, has been a long-time mentor to umpires at every level and has done an outstanding job since returning to the AFL to take up the role of Head of Officiating,? the AFL said.

Mr Setka told The Australian that the union had an ?obligation to pursue anti-union, anti-worker f..kers like (Mr McBurney) and we will until the end of the earth?.

?This is going to cost the AFL a lot of f..king money. I hope it?s worth it. Projects without our full cooperation are going to be a f..king misery for them,? he said. ?They will regret the day they ever employed him.?

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Mr Setka?s language and behaviour showed why it was a mistake by Labor to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission

ACCI?s chief of policy and advocacy, David Alexander said the ABCC held the CFMEU to account for its rampant violations of industrial law.

?The tactics used by John Setka in the building industry are now spilling into the AFL arena,? he said.

?John Setka is brazenly threatening to hold the AFL to ransom in order to settle an old political score. Australian sports fans will be appalled that their code could be held in such contempt.?

Mr Setka said the demand to sack the ?unAustralian? Mr McBurney was backed by the CFMEU?s Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian branches and would be put shortly to the national executive ?who I think hate McBurney as much as we do in Victoria?.

?We will use every resource we have to pursue him,? he said. ?They just don?t walk away from a role like that, cost the union millions of dollars and just think they can walk away into the f..king sunset. It doesn?t work that way.

?This is the real world, we go after our enemies and he was our No. 1 enemy and we will pursue him until the ends of the earth.?

Mr Setka said the union would not engage in outright strike action but ?if it?s work to rule, and we just work our basic hours, things are going to drag out forever? and projects will most likely run over-budget.

?We are not going to stop a whole stadium but for projects of this nature to get delivered, they have to have the full co-operation on site, and that means a lot of flexibility, a lot of give and take,? he said.

?We get our blokes to work RDOs (rostered days off), sometimes on long weekends. We have a meeting and say ?Look, the job?s behind, they need to deliver this on time.

?Let me tell you, god held them if their schedule is ever out of f..king whack because we will not be bending over backwards to do a f..king thing to help them. It?s going to be a hard slog for them.?

The union would also finance ads calling for his removal.

Mr McBurney, a former Australian Football League umpire and organised crime investigator, was appointed in 2018 by the *Coalition government to head the ABCC, regularly clashing with the CFMEU and its officials, including Mr Setka, as the regulator pursued legal action against the union.

The Albanese government abolished the ABCC.

Mr McBurney, one of four AFL umpires to reach a 400-game milestone, then began his new role as AFL head of umpiring in April.

As well as the Tasmanian stadium, Mr Setka cited a planned home base for the Adelaide Crows and any works undertaken in Victoria as targets of the campaign.

CFMEU construction national secretary Zach Smith told The Australian that ?as the head of the disgraced ABCC, Stephen McBurney brought untold misery to the lives of workers he unfairly demonised and the branch is very rightly expressing the genuine anger of its members?.

?The national union is yet to discuss potential action against the AFL, but there?s zero doubt the pain the ABCC caused under McBurney is still being deeply felt by construction workers across Australia,? he said.

Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari said *?people?s reputations follow them? and the ?AFL?s choice to work with Mr McBurney is worse than their choice to hire Meatloaf (as grand final entertainment in 2011)?.

?AFL is a working-class sport and his track record of blowing the whistle on the unions puts him at odds with many fans,? he said.

The Australian is not suggesting Mr McBurney engaged in any wrongdoing as the head of the ABCC, simply that Mr Setka, Mr Smith and Mr Hilakari have commented about his past as a union watchdog and his role in the AFL

Mr Setka, who will finish his tenure as the union?s Victorian secretary at the end of the year, said the union has an obligation to pursue former ABCC officers and ?just wreck their careers wherever they are?.

Upon being appointed ABCC head in 2018, Mr McBurney, who umpired four AFL grand finals, told The Australian he saw similarities in how he approached the job and his role as an umpire, saying he was determined to be impartial. ?This (ABCC head) is not a popular position,? he said.

?I am bound to invite criticism, as I did as an umpire.?

Mr McBurney has declined to comment on the present situation.

[angelopetraglia]

The CFMEU is threatnening to disrupt any AFL construction work unless they sack McBurney. What the f%$%^!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bulldog Joe]

The CFMEU is threatnening to disrupt any AFL construction work unless they sack McBurney. What the f%$%^!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr Setka does himself and his union members no favors if this is actually what he intends to do.

[angelopetraglia]

Talk about the CMFEU overreaching. Have a listen here https://omny.fm/shows/3aw-mornings/john-setka-confirms-cfmeu-will-go-after-afl-head-o

[Sedat]

So nice to hear from the person who actually runs this state

[angelopetraglia]

"Sometimes we work on RDOs" -John Setka

[angelopetraglia]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GP13ZeNawAAlZHd?format=jpg&name=small

[chef]

What's an RDO?

Haha.

[Sedat]

My favourite line in the article:

Mr Setka said the union would not engage in outright strike action but if it's work to rule, and we just work our basic hours, things are going to drag out forever and projects will most likely run over-budget.

Because all the Vic state govt projects in the last 10 years have finished on time and on budget lol

[GVGjr]

It's a sad situation when leaders are able to make these type of threats. Unions are in place to keep their members safe and employed not to use their platform to threaten the livelihood of others.
There are progressive unions and ones that haven't really transitioned out of the 70's and 80's.

[Sedat]

It's a sad situation when leaders are able to make these type of threats. Unions are in place to keep their members safe and employed not to use their platform to threaten the livelihood of others.
There are progressive unions and ones that haven't really transitioned out of the 70's and 80's.
Unions are really no different to the big businesses/lobby groups/corporates from the top end of town with snouts in the trough gouging off govt largesse and tax concessions, all funded by the stupid taxpayer. Only difference is that they are dressed by Ed Hardy and not Giorgio Armani.

[Grantysghost]

They want to get rid of the professional middle classes. Cashed up bogans are like....wait.

[azabob]

Is it April 1st?

[Grantysghost]

My favourite line in the article:

Mr Setka said the union would not engage in outright strike action but if it's work to rule, and we just work our basic hours, things are going to drag out forever and projects will most likely run over-budget.

Because all the Vic state govt projects in the last 10 years have finished on time and on budget lol

So if they work the hours they are supposed to, nothing gets done? Crikey.

[azabob]

So is this the reason he wants him sacked?


"Mr Setka said the union would not cooperate with the AFL to address any delays or cost overruns on league-related projects until Mr McBurney, who as Australian Building and Construction Commissioner initiated legal action that resulted in millions of dollars of penalties against the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, was sacked as the AFL umpires boss."

[Grantysghost]

So is this the reason he wants him sacked?


"Mr Setka said the union would not cooperate with the AFL to address any delays or cost overruns on league-related projects until Mr McBurney, who as Australian Building and Construction Commissioner initiated legal action that resulted in millions of dollars of penalties against the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, was sacked as the AFL umpires boss."

We should get Setka onside for a union backed game. Dogs v Pies. Harness his madness.

[Happy Days]

So is this because the umpires suck? Before you ask of course I didn’t read the article.

[Grantysghost]

So is this because the umpires suck? Before you ask of course I didn’t read the article.
Because the unions dont like him from a previous role they want the afl to sack him or they'll delay projects.
Extortion basically.

[EasternWest]

Unions are really no different to the big businesses/lobby groups/corporates from the top end of town with snouts in the trough gouging off govt largesse and tax concessions, all funded by the stupid taxpayer. Only difference is that they are dressed by Ed Hardy and not Giorgio Armani.

Me and the boys are coming to have a friendly chat with you about this.

Out of all the out there AFL content that could have emerged, this is certainly pretty out there WTF.

[bornadog]

Me and the boys are coming to have a friendly chat with you about this.

Out of all the out there AFL content that could have emerged, this is certainly pretty out there WTF.

No Unions and the workers are ****ed.

[jeemak]

So is this the reason he wants him sacked?


"Mr Setka said the union would not cooperate with the AFL to address any delays or cost overruns on league-related projects until Mr McBurney, who as Australian Building and Construction Commissioner initiated legal action that resulted in millions of dollars of penalties against the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, was sacked as the AFL umpires boss."

Absolutely. McBurney took on a politically ideological role in the past and did the bidding of an anti-worker/ anti-union government. Now it's coming home to roost.

Not saying it's right, but people keep receipts and the corporate class need to feel the consequences of that sometimes in order to keep some balance.

BTW - I'm not a Setka supporter. He's an outdated blunt instrument for mine.

[hujsh]

So is this the reason he wants him sacked?


"Mr Setka said the union would not cooperate with the AFL to address any delays or cost overruns on league-related projects until Mr McBurney, who as Australian Building and Construction Commissioner initiated legal action that resulted in millions of dollars of penalties against the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, was sacked as the AFL umpires boss."


Absolutely. McBurney took on a politically ideological role in the past and did the bidding of an anti-worker/ anti-union government. Now it's coming home to roost.

Not saying it's right, but people keep receipts and the corporate class need to feel the consequences of that sometimes in order to keep some balance.

BTW - I'm not a Setka supporter. He's an outdated blunt instrument for mine.

IDK I only saw the headline and initial comments here so I'm pretty sure he just thinks the umps aren't any good.

[bornadog]

IDK I only saw the headline and initial comments here so I'm pretty sure he just thinks the umps aren't any good.

Not wrong there

[jeemak]

IDK I only saw the headline and initial comments here so I'm pretty sure he just thinks the umps aren't any good.

I did see the headlines and thought that was his motivation and I was cool with it.

[Sedat]

Absolutely. McBurney took on a politically ideological role in the past and did the bidding of an anti-worker/ anti-union government. Now it's coming home to roost.

Not saying it's right, but people keep receipts and the corporate class need to feel the consequences of that sometimes in order to keep some balance.

BTW - I'm not a Setka supporter. He's an outdated blunt instrument for mine.
I guess if you believe it constitutes the definition of 'balance' that holding a stop and go sign is worth a salary $180k a year. Ideology is a two-way street.

Not going to lie, I will enjoy seeing all those low-testosterone suits at AFEL House try to negotiate with someone from the rough end of town who has seen a bit and lived a colourful life, and plays for keeps.

I have no skin in the game for either side in this - they are both pretty loathsome in their own charming way. If anything, I actually have more of a grudging respect for the overt extortion perpetuated by Setka and the CFMEU in this instance than the daily covert extortion undertaken against all of us by our politicians in just about every facet of our lives.

[Eastdog]

What's an RDO?

Haha.

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/hours-of-work-breaks-and-rosters/rostered-days-off


Rostered days off

A rostered day off (RDO) is a day in a roster period that an employee doesn't have to work.


Paid and unpaid RDOs

An employee's day off can be paid or unpaid, depending on how RDOs are set out in an award or registered agreement.

When RDOs are paid, it is because an employee has worked extra hours that add up over a set period of time and this is taken as an RDO.

[jeemak]

I guess if you believe it constitutes the definition of 'balance' that holding a stop and go sign is worth a salary $180k a year. Ideology is a two-way street.

Not going to lie, I will enjoy seeing all those the low-testosterone suits at AFEL House try to negotiate with someone from the rough end of town who has seen a bit and lived a colourful life.

I have no skin in the game for either side in this - they are both pretty loathsome in their own charming way. If anything, I actually have more of a grudging respect for such overt extortion perpetuated by someone like Setka and the CFMEU than the daily covert extortion undertaken against all of us by our politicians in just about every facet of our lives.

There's always silly extremes, but by balance I meant that corporate elites and political ideologues treat institutions/ supposedly objective bodies as their personal vehicles to further their own careers and agendas. And mostly get away with it, seamlessly moving onto the next thing like ****ing up AFL umpiring!

It's nice to see them squirm from time to time.

[angelopetraglia]

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/hours-of-work-breaks-and-rosters/rostered-days-off


Rostered days off

A rostered day off (RDO) is a day in a roster period that an employee doesn't have to work.


Paid and unpaid RDOs

An employee's day off can be paid or unpaid, depending on how RDOs are set out in an award or registered agreement.

When RDOs are paid, it is because an employee has worked extra hours that add up over a set period of time and this is taken as an RDO.

CFMEU have 25 RDOs on their calendar this year. Also 11 Public Holidays and 20 days annual leave which we all have. That is 56 days where they don't need to work. So they work 204 days. They have 161 days off according to their award.

[Sedat]

CFMEU have 25 RDOs on their calendar this year. Also 11 Public Holidays and 20 days annual leave which we all have. That is 56 days where they don't need to work. So they work 204 days. They have 161 days off according to their award.
Not balanced enough, should be 182.5 work days and 182.5 days off ;)

[angelopetraglia]

Not balanced enough, should be 182.5 work days and 182.5 days off ;)

Apologies. They also have a picnic day.

[hujsh]

I guess if you believe it constitutes the definition of 'balance' that holding a stop and go sign is worth a salary $180k a year. Ideology is a two-way street.



120k a year to spend long days standing in all weather, copping abuse and dealing with dickheads driving dangerously. It's a real job. Probably more dangerous than being cop (even in a place like the US) going by the below article, assuming they count as highway maintenance workers. And 120k aint so much these days.
https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states

[hujsh]

CFMEU have 25 RDOs on their calendar this year. Also 11 Public Holidays and 20 days annual leave which we all have. That is 56 days where they don't need to work. So they work 204 days. They have 161 days off according to their award.

We're all just jealous no one does the same for us.

I'd take those 25 days off

[jeemak]

I wish I had an organisation advocating for me in my role and enforcing I work only 200 days a year! Instead I have to treat my work arrangements confidentially because apparently that's better for me and unions are actually bad for workers.

[EasternWest]

We're all just jealous no one does the same for us.

Well, some of us are.

[EasternWest]

I wish I had an organisation advocating for me in my role and enforcing I work only 200 days a year! Instead I have to treat my work arrangements confidentially because apparently that's better for me and unions are actually bad for workers.

We all float down here, Georgie.

[chef]

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/hours-of-work-breaks-and-rosters/rostered-days-off


Rostered days off

A rostered day off (RDO) is a day in a roster period that an employee doesn't have to work.


Paid and unpaid RDOs

An employee's day off can be paid or unpaid, depending on how RDOs are set out in an award or registered agreement.

When RDOs are paid, it is because an employee has worked extra hours that add up over a set period of time and this is taken as an RDO.

Was tongue in cheek mate, something I've never had in 30 years in the hospitality industry.

[angelopetraglia]

We're all just jealous no one does the same for us.

I'd take those 25 days off

I'm more than happy to prove my own worth off the back of the value I add personally and negotiate my own deal. But understand this is different for everyone and I respect that. Everything in balance. Unions have their place

I'm just not a fan of how the CFMEU has carried themselves over a number of years.

One little story. Many, many, many years ago. I worked in a business that sponsored a publication that the CFMEU did. They asked a large increase to do the same thing the following year. It was an extreme rise. We decided not to do it. Within a single hour, the delivery vehicles of our company were banned from their sites. We could not enter!!!! We could not deliver products. We paid the "advertising feee" immediately. Vehicles were allowed on the site again. We just had to pay this "tax" for enternity and every year they were asking for more and more things and we just put it down as the CODB. (This is one tiny little story, imagine the other shenagians going on).

This is less union and more mafia.

[Grantysghost]

I much prefer to advocate for myself. Humans and power; always turns to shit.

[angelopetraglia]

120k a year to spend long days standing in all weather, copping abuse and dealing with dickheads driving dangerously. It's a real job. Probably more dangerous than being cop (even in a place like the US) going by the below article, assuming they count as highway maintenance workers. And 120k aint so much these days.
https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states

Average weekly earnings in Australia is $98K per annum. So its a +20% increase on the average wage to do a low skilled job with minimal training required. Also, there are now electronic controlled portable boom gates that are now legislated in many places that allow the worker to be on the side of the road where they are safer and they control the boom remotely.

[Sedat]

120k a year to spend long days standing in all weather, copping abuse and dealing with dickheads driving dangerously. It's a real job. Probably more dangerous than being cop (even in a place like the US) going by the below article, assuming they count as highway maintenance workers. And 120k aint so much these days.
https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states
The average 15yo kid working fast food/stacking shelves at a supermarket similarly cops abuse and has to deal with dickheads (indoors to be fair) and is paid $12.04 an hour. Both examples are ridiculous extremes and both are anything but balanced IMO. I detest corporatism/globalism more than anything, much more than militant unionism (which I'm also no fan of, because ultimately we all pay for the largesse).

And the only reason $120k aint so much these days is a direct result of idiotic politicians and their lunatic hyper-inflationary policies designed specifically to hurt the people they are supposed to serve - politicians are the worst criminals/extorters in our society, they are just much better at hiding their sins.

[Grantysghost]

The average 15yo kid working fast food/stacking shelves at a supermarket similarly cops abuse and has to deal with dickheads (indoors to be fair) and is paid $12.04 an hour. Both examples are ridiculous extremes and both are anything but balanced IMO. I detest corporatism/globalism more than anything, much more than militant unionism (which I'm also no fan of, because ultimately we all pay for the largesse).

And the only reason $120k aint so much these days is a direct result of idiotic politicians and their lunatic hyper-inflationary policies designed specifically to hurt the people they are supposed to serve - politicians are the worst criminals/extorters in our society, they are just much better at hiding their sins.
The current bloc and their Keynesian "big infrastructure spend" designed only to benefit the economy apparently.

Love the signs on the west gate "you'll save twenty minutes on your trip". Well I've already lost twenty thousand being stuck in your macro economic stasis so thanks a bunch!

[Grantysghost]

We're all just jealous no one does the same for us.

I'd take those 25 days off
Hey hey i like my job! I'm ok with working, got nothing else to do ;)

[bornadog]

Wow this thread has turned into a shit show :D

[hujsh]

The average 15yo kid working fast food/stacking shelves at a supermarket similarly cops abuse and has to deal with dickheads (indoors to be fair) and is paid $12.04 an hour.

Probably less likely to get hit by a car.

Also kind of weird to use the 15 year old wage. The minimum is $23 an hour which is already shite (like 45k a year I think)

I personally will never begrudge anyone for earning what is essentially a middle class income for working a fulltime job. I would rather try to raise everyone else up than to push down those I consider less deserving. Especially when it's a role women can do since we love not paying well when it's 'womens work'


I much prefer to advocate for myself. Humans and power; always turns to shit.

Good luck to you. For the vast majority of the workforce that is a fool's notion.

[hujsh]

Wow this thread has turned into a shit show :D

Dad's out let's party

[bornadog]

Good luck to you. For the vast majority of the workforce that is a fool's notion.

Depends on your role in an organisation. If you are the only one in that role eg CFO, then I agree with GG.

[jazzadogs]

Depends on your role in an organisation. If you are the only one in that role eg CFO, then I agree with GG.

I don't think there would be many CFOs who are also fans of unions...

This is such a bizarre article. Is his official statement to a national newspaper really laden with expletives?

[bornadog]

I don't think there would be many CFOs who are also fans of unions...

This is such a bizarre article. Is his official statement to a national newspaper really laden with expletives?

you don't get the point - CFO was just an eg, could be a scientist, or the one and only engineer etc - they won't be joining a Union.

[bulldogtragic]

I don't think there would be many CFOs who are also fans of unions...

This is such a bizarre article. Is his official statement to a national newspaper really laden with expletives?

His wife tried to kill him he’s just that kind of a charmer…

[angelopetraglia]

I don't think there would be many CFOs who are also fans of unions...

This is such a bizarre article. Is his official statement to a national newspaper really laden with expletives?

The quotes looked like they are lifted from his interview on 3AW.

[GVGjr]

Lets close this one, it's gone off track a bit.