John Setka | |
|---|---|
| Victorian-Tasmanian Secretary of the CFMEU | |
| In office 2012 – 12 July 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation | CFMEU state secretary |
| Known for | Leader of the CFMEU Victorian-Tasmanian Branch |
John Setka (born September 1964[citation needed]) is an Australian trade unionist.
Until 12 July 2024 he was secretary of the Victorian-Tasmanian division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, and Energy Union,[1] which also administers the South Australian division under a temporary arrangement.[2]
In a statement on July 12, 2024, the union said Setka's departure was because of “ongoing and relentless stories written with multiple allegations about this great union". The Age, July 12, 2024.</ref>
He is a controversial figure in the Australian trade union movement.[3][4] He is known for his strong support at a grassroots level, especially among the rank and file of the CFMEU.[5] His supporters regard him as a strong advocate against political, legal, and industrial opponents; the national secretary of the union, Christy Cain has called him one of the "most fair dinkum union people in this country".[6]
On the other hand, the Courts have upheld the description of him as a thug, while Setka's political opponents have derided him as a bully, and criticized his purported stance that it can be necessary to break the law to pursue union interests.[7] He has also faced strong criticism for alleged public remarks on the topic of domestic violence, and a guilty plea for harassing his ex-wife via text, issues that contributed to his formal expulsion from the Australian Labor Party in 2019.[note 1][8][9]
In recent years Setka's personal life has been the subject of considerable media attention. His marital breakdown, and associated legal issues, have led to additional public criticism.[8][10][11]
- ^ "John Setka". CFMEU Victoria & Tasmania. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ Controversial CFMEU boss John Setka set to take over SA branch | 7NEWS, 3 August 2022, retrieved 25 February 2023
- ^ "Coalition demerger laws fuel fresh union bust-up". Australian Financial Review. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ Schneiders, Ben (3 September 2021). "John Setka, the man who left his union a smouldering ruin". The Age. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "CFMEU donations to federal Labor surge between elections". Australian Financial Review. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ Bonyhady, Nick (3 January 2021). "Setka union ally moves closer to running CFMMEU". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ Schneiders, Ben (14 June 2019). "Setka the survivor stands firm amid the wreckage". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Wootton, Hannah (8 September 2022). "John Setka's ever-increasing rap sheet of allegations". Australian Financial Review.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:5was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).