Answer extracted from the Creatures of the Industry podcast — listen to the full episode below.
Will unions remain essential to Australia's construction sector long-term?
The construction union will remain indispensable as long as workers exist—Ray Smith firmly rejects any notion that deregulation could undermine its necessity. Unions deal with fatalities, injuries, and worker exploitation while facing undeserved criticism; the solution is not to dismantle them, but to recognize their vital protective function.
Ray Smith's conviction rests on a straightforward principle: workers will always require collective representation. In his view, the union's future is secure not because of regulatory mandates, but because the fundamental challenges it addresses—safety violations, wage theft, workplace injuries—remain endemic to the industry. As long as these problems persist, the organization that fights them will remain necessary.
The frustration Smith expresses is revealing. Unions handle the difficult work of confronting fatalities, injuries, and systematic rip-offs while being blamed for perceived rigidity or obstruction. This inversion of responsibility—where the problem-solver faces criticism instead of the problem itself—points to a deeper misunderstanding of the union's role in the sector, as discussed in detail in this episode of Creatures of the Industry.
"For as long as there are people doing what they do, there's most certainly a role for the unions to play."
Ray Smith — Construction Worker, Delegate, and Tour Manager. Smith spent nearly 30 years in the music industry starting around 1975–1976, working as a roadie, manager, and tour manager for major acts including Johnny Diesel and the Injectors, Cold Chisel, the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, and Oasis. He later transitioned into the construction sector, where he became a delegate representing union members across Melbourne and regional Victoria, gaining hands-on experience in mixed metals, civil engineering, building, and infrastructure projects. His dual career background gives him unique perspective on organizational culture and worker solidarity across industries.
Smith's position directly challenges deregulation arguments that suggest removing union oversight would liberate the industry. His counterpoint is pragmatic: deregulation addresses none of the actual harms unions exist to prevent. Fatalities do not disappear when enforcement structures weaken; if anything, they multiply. The trajectory he envisions is one in which unions evolve in response to changing industry conditions, but never become obsolete because the need for worker protection does not become obsolete.
Understanding this long-term trajectory requires recognizing that union strength is rooted in material reality—the concrete need for collective defense against exploitation—rather than bureaucratic privilege. Any serious challenge to union influence would need to address the underlying problems unions solve, not simply attempt to remove the organizations that solve them. Learn more about Ray Smith's full perspective on industry culture and regulatory change in the full episode.
See also
How does union administration and regulatory oversight affect industry culture and worker protection?
Ray states that current administration may not fundamentally change industry culture, and argues that government overreach creates additional challenges beyond core union responsibilities. He discusses the tension between regulatory bodies and union effectiveness in protecting workers.
What are the most memorable aspects of a career spanning multiple construction disciplines and roles?
The fond memories are just the mateship within construction, the characters met along the way. The highlight was definitely going from job to job, meeting good people and representing members as a delegate—a point Smith returns to when reflecting on his enduring commitment to the industry.
What role did the monthly scaffold meetings at Trades Hall play in maintaining industry standards and knowledge sharing?
The scaffold meetings at Trades Hall, chaired by Normie Wallace, were held in the round with people sitting on wooden benches in a semicircle, facilitating direct knowledge exchange and standard-setting among craftspeople—a structural format that enabled genuine dialogue within the union community.