‘The union movement wanted to send a message’: Tom Elliott reacts to this morning’s traffic chaos

Tom Elliott says the CFMEU is “flexing its muscle” in the face of the Victorian public after shutting down the West Gate Tunnel construction site.

Motorists in the west faced huge delays on Thursday morning after inbound traffic was reduced to one lane on the West Gate Freeway.

It’s emerged that the CFMEU shut down the site due to safety concerns around 1:30am on Thursday morning, before Worksafe was called in to inspect and deemed the site safe around 3:30am.

However, the office of transport minister Jacinta Allan has told 3AW Drive representatives from the CFMEU refused to leave before police were called to clear the site.

“There’s no doubt about this, this is the union movement flexing its muscles,” Tom Elliott said on 3AW Drive.

“It had nothing to do with whether or not the works on the West Gate were a safe work site or not.

“Worksafe Victoria, another creation of the state government, said that the site was safe.

“But the union movement wanted to send a message.

“The CFMEU have said ‘we can shut down Melbourne when it suits, and there’s nothing you can do about it’.”

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