CFMEU Demands Phone Tap Assurances

Date: 09 July 2002

The admission by Secretary Colin Thatcher that the Building Royal Commission has received information obtained under telecommunication interception warrants raises serious concerns the CFMEU said today. [Senate Estimates QoN 31]

"The CFMEU demands immediate confirmation that no union member has had their phone tapped over industrial relations matters," said John Sutton, National Secretary of the CFMEU Construction Division.

"The law allows for intercepted material to be received for serious crimes matters; not for civil matters under industrial law.

"Construction workers are entitled to be assured that their phones have not been bugged for the purpose of the Royal Commission investigations into industrial relations matters, or any political purpose.

"If the Royal Commission is not prepared to answer this question, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott should give building workers and union officials full assurance that their phone conversations have not been secretly taped for industrial relations purposes," said Mr Sutton.

"If the public and our members can be assured that this kind of surveillance is only in pursuit of serious crime, that's one thing. If, on the other hand, it is part of a general anti-union crusade, building workers and the community are entitled to be outraged about a major breach of civil liberties."

For further comment phone John Sutton on 0419 254 180.

Bernadette moloney

National Publicity Officer

CFMEU Construction & General Division

ph: 612 9267 7644

ph (dir0: 612 9267 2576

fax: 612 9267 8863

mobile: 0414 229 660

email: bmoloney@fed.cfmeu.asn.au

For further information

Contact:	Peter Lewis
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://workers.labor.net.au/

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