Complaints about the CFMEU's "reign of terror" have been raised for years with the Queensland government but fell on deaf ears, a construction body says.
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The Queensland Major Contractors Association says it is now time for the state government to take action amid a crackdown on the union, accusing it of bullying and standover tactics.
Labor's national executive is cutting ties with the CFMEU and an independent administrator is set to be appointed after corruption allegations were levelled at the union's construction arm.
The Queensland government has expressed concern over the claims, confirming it will not meet with the union or accept donations until the allegations are put to bed.
But the contractors association says the allegations should not surprise the state government, saying it had raised concerns about the CFMEU for "years and years and years".
"Often it's just landing on a few deaf ears, politically," association spokesman Andrew Chapman told ABC Radio.
"Their reign of terror, intimidation, bullying and harassment must end."
Asked if the premier should take action, Mr Chapman said: "Yes, I believe he does."
"We have been raising the issues around the bullying, harassment, intimidation and standover tactics and ... long litany of behaviours by the CFMEU for some time," he said.
Deputy Premier Cameron Dick on Thursday said most worksites were regulated under federal law but the state government would support any party if they raised allegations.
"Any affected party ... has a range of options available under federal law, including civil applications for civil and criminal penalties (after) reporting those matters to appropriate authorities," he said.
"And we would of course support them in doing that."
But Mr Chapman said the CFMEU controlled Queensland's building sector and was attempting to gain control of the civil construction industry.
He said the union had "weaponised" safety on worksites to push their own agenda in a bid to take control of the entire construction sector.
Women have also been pushed away from the construction workforce due to the union, Mr Chapman said.
About 16 per cent of people working in Queensland construction are women, according to National Association of Women in Construction data.
But only two per cent are on worksites, which Mr Chapman said was due to the CFMEU's bullying behaviour.
"We can't attract or retain those wonderful women unless we have decent, productive sites, but also respective sites, and we don't have that with the way the CFMEU acts," he said.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the state government had not called out the CFMEU because a generation of Labor politicians "owe their existence" to the union.
"I don't think there's a Queenslander that believes the state government didn't know this kind of behaviour was happening from the CFMEU on job sites," he said.
But the CFMEU's Queensland and Northern Territory branch said the corruption allegations were unproven, hitting out at the Commonwealth's attempt to "install unelected administrators".
"We've seen off nastier characters than the likes of (Prime Minister Anthony) Albanese," branch secretary Michael Ravbar said.
Australian Associated Press
