Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union
The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union is an Australian trade union representing over 120,000 workers across construction, forestry, maritime, and related industries, providing industrial representation, training, and member services through a national branch network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union does
The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) is one of Australia's largest trade unions, representing approximately 120,000 members across construction, forestry, maritime, manufacturing, oil refining, power generation, and maintenance industries. Headquartered in Sydney and operating through a network of state and territory branches (including NSW, Victoria, WA, Queensland, SA, Tasmania, ACT, and the Northern Territory), the union provides industrial representation, collective bargaining, workplace health and safety advocacy, legal support, and member services to individual workers rather than corporate clients. The organisation also functions as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 3688), delivering nationally recognised vocational training to its members and the broader construction workforce.
The union's commercial structure is funded primarily through member subscriptions, with ancillary revenue streams from training delivery, superannuation partnerships, and member-benefit services. Its most strategically significant commercial tie is the deep partnership with Cbus Super Fund, the industry superannuation vehicle for building and construction workers, which functions as an integrated financial-services ecosystem with the union. Governance of the union is currently administered externally by an appointed Administrator (most recently transitioned to Michael Crosby AM in May 2026, replacing Mark Irving), following regulatory intervention in August 2024. The union has historical roots dating to the 1870s and was constituted in its current form in 2018 through the merger of the CFMEU, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), and the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA).
The union employs between 501 and 1,000 staff, including officials, organisers, trainers, and administrative personnel. Its business model is non-profit and member-funded; there is no equity capital, no investors, and no acquisition currency in the conventional sense. Strategic decision-making has been heavily influenced by external administration since 2024, with the Administrator exercising powers previously held by elected officials.
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union
- Legal name
- Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union
- Website
- https://cg.cfmeu.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union is an Australian trade union representing over 120,000 workers across construction, forestry, maritime, and related industries, providing industrial representation, training, and member services through a national branch network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Union Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)
Keywords
Where Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices7 records
Markets served
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Recurring membership dues paid by construction workers. The union uses these revenues to fund collective bargaining campaigns, workplace representation, legal assistance, WHS services, and training programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard membership dues for construction workers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The CFMEU Construction & General Division is a national trade union providing collective bargaining, industrial representation, workplace health and safety advocacy, legal support, and nationally accredited training to more than 120,000 construction workers across Australia. It operates through branch offices in all Australian capital cities and major regional centres, complemented by superannuation partnerships (Cbus), wage information resources, RDO calendars, and workplace organizing through site stewards.
Product overview
CFMEU Construction & General is a national trade union operating as a single unified membership organization with offices in all Australian capital cities and major regional centres. The union provides core membership services including collective bargaining, industrial representation, and workplace safety support, complemented by specialized sub-products: Wage Sheets for industry-specific pay rates, Cbus Superannuation partnership for retirement benefits, CFMEU Training (RTO 3688) for nationally accredited courses, RDO Calendar for rostered days off tracking, Out of Work Register for job-seeking members, Complaints Portal for reporting misconduct, and various safety/advocacy campaigns. The union operates under Fair Work Commission regulation and has been under external administration since 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CFMEU Construction & General Membership
Quantifiable outcome
- 36-hour work week achieved in 2000, providing workers with 26 paid days off per year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Cbus SupercoreCbus is the leading Industry Super Fund for the building, construction and allied industries. CFMEU is one of the sponsoring organisations represented on the Cbus board through unions. Cbus provides superannuation and insurance to over 920,000 members including CFMEU construction workers, managing $94 billion in funds as of 30 June 2024. The partnership delivers low fees, strong investment performance, and tailored insurance including hazardous occupations coverage.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU): AMWU is a large Australian trade union representing manufacturing and related workers under the same Fair Work framework as CFMEU, sharing the Australian institutional context (Fair Work Commission, federal-regulations governance).
Direct peers
- Electrical Trades Union of Australia (ETU): ETU organises electrical, energy, and related construction workers across Australia, competing with CFMEU for the same blue-collar construction workforce under the same EBA framework.
- United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America: The Carpenters union organises construction carpenters and related trades in North America, matching CFMEU Construction & General's blue-collar membership base and training-driven member-value model.
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): IBEW represents electrical workers in construction, utilities, and telecommunications under a similar model of collective bargaining, apprenticeship training, and worksite representation that CFMEU deploys across Australian construction sites.
- Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA): LIUNA represents construction laborers, building trades, and public-sector workers across the U.S. and Canada, mirroring CFMEU's mission of organising and representing construction and general-labour workers through collective bargaining and training programs.
- International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers: The Iron Workers union represents structural-steel and reinforcing workers on commercial and civil construction projects, sharing CFMEU Construction & General's combined collective-bargaining and apprenticeship-training remit.
- Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO: BCT is the AFL-CIO body that coordinates 13 North American building-trades unions covering construction workers, the closest global institutional analogue to CFMEU's national-coordinating role for construction unions.
Broad incumbents
- Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU): ACTU is the peak national trade-union body in Australia; it does not directly represent CFMEU members but shapes the regulatory and political environment in which CFMEU operates, comparable to AFL-CIO's relationship with U.S. building-trades unions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union social profiles
Digital presenceConstruction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union
What does Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union do?
The CFMEU Construction & General Division is a national trade union providing collective bargaining, industrial representation, workplace health and safety advocacy, legal support, and nationally accredited training to more than 120,000 construction workers across Australia. It operates through branch offices in all Australian capital cities and major regional centres, complemented by superannuation partnerships (Cbus), wage information resources, RDO calendars, and workplace organizing through site stewards.
Is Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union a public or private company?
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union founded?
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union was founded in 1990. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union based?
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union's main competitors?
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Electrical Trades Union of Australia (ETU), United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers and Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO. Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union.
What industry is Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union in?
Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union's product category is Trade Union Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAEAA, Construction & General Labor Staffing.