Belly, corruption is not limited to any organisation or industry and the construction industry certainly has a history.

Where there are human beings there is the risk of corruption but the real problem is in proper checks and balances in the system. Unions collect money from their members and are answerable to their members. The construction industry certainly needs a review but governments should not pander to them either. Such as with the Sydney tunnel which the government not only outsourced to the private sector but then said if it failed to collect enough in tolls they would bail them out. What sort of madness is that?

Many unionists have an odd way of looking at their role. Some think the membership owes them allegiance in the name of 'unionism' without really providing a service or advocacy to those members. A bit like Humphrey Appleby's hospital that would be disrupted if it took in patients.

In the public service the management structure is becoming more and more an inverted triangle. The CPSU does not represent outsourced labour (lower ranks) and other unions that do cannot do much for casuals collectively other than ensure they are paid correctly. The CPSU is becoming a union for management. I suspect with outsourced labour in the construction industry and the rorts and payoffs mean savings have to be made on labour. So who is benefitting?

Some unions are too interested in growing membership rather than representing their membership. I have known a couple of union officials who became public servants and they were the worst for empire building and making cuts at the coalface that affected real services to the public. Many unionists do work hard on behalf of their membership, but no organisation is perfect and should always stand back from time to time and take a good look.

Maybe some of these people start out with genuine intentions but some appear to lose it along the way due to career aspirations including political ambitions and greed. Members should vote with their feet and approach another union that is willing to represent them.

Any area where the normal bidding process is not free is a breeding ground for corruption.

The unions while initially controlling the work to better conditions for their members now also use it to line their pockets, with the resultant casual work business soaring.

I share a great deal of your views pelican.
I have seen such people in every union and in my view cut my working life short[ it had not been my intention] in defense of my members rights against the wrong man in power and for the wrong reasons in charge.
Please however do not throw stones at unionism, yes THAT union, if you dare call it one, has always been bent.
It offered me a chance to sup on the best meal in the world, revenge, I could have been working for them but dignity and lifetime love of MY UNION was worth standing up for.
10% NO MORE , OF THE CORRUPTION IN TODAYS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS UNION RELATED AND OF THAT 90% ONE UNION.
Those two firms, sell cheap under paid workers to construction bosses.
Marketing tools are no union members, kick backs, yes former extremist left wing union but now firmly bent firmly anti union.
Now consider this, agreement is nation wide, takes overtime Rights travel and a great deal more away.
yet it passed the boots test, LABORS fair work Australia.
AND THIS it covers workers in civil construction that the union involved has NO LEGAL COVERAGE OF.
This is not fodder for anti union slagging of it is some project managers who feed it.
As for project managers I could name drop here I have mates at the very top here few project managers ever did not see eye to eye with me.
I gained much from the radical union, its best delegates came to me sick of radicals, and site managers knew we did not use storm trooper tactic's.

The thread never made it, maybe I should have remembered it is a hidden problem.
The highlighted fact is most thought instantly of trade unions/workers as the corruption.
And face it not every one knows a great deal about a construction site.
We however take it for granted,some one is watching, this can not happen, well it is it will continue to .
In America some crimes have always been done in building unions names.
gangsters do tax the industry.
But those ex union criminals I highlight here are criminals, not unionists, first victims are those who work for them.
I BELIEVE the corruption is so bad, not LABOR,not Conservative OWNED corruption will thieve 5%, maybe twice that, of every dollar rebuilding Australia after these floods.
From council inspectors to roads contract handlers,to head offices of our biggest construction firms greed wins.
A bottle or two of the best Scotch.
A load if soil in a garden.
To a brand new home keys in hand nothing to pay.
Our country is bleeding.
It will continue to, we are a long way past trust.
One day a story about my time working for my states RTA its massive white washing of fraud and theft its inability to bring any contract in on price will make good reading,if you like tragic folly, if you except those who are its victims being blamed for managements sins.