Union fined for right-to-entry fights
The CFMEU has been fined $205,100 for illegal activity on building sites, with the judge in the case labelled the union’s record as “dismal”.
Justice Richard White fined the union as well as 10 current and former officials for illegal activity on three sites in 2014.
CFMEU organiser John Perkovic was handed a $5000 fine for “provocative, bullying and intimidating” behaviour towards a Fair Work building industry inspector at the Ibis Hotel site in Adelaide.
Video evidence showed Mr Perkovic calling the inspector a “f**king piece of s**t”, when he and several other CFMEU officials were asked to show their right of entry permits.
Justice White said the CFMEU had an “attitude of indifference” towards right of entry laws.
“The element of deterrence is particularly important in the present case because of the CFMEU's long record of non-compliance with industrial legislation,” he said.
“It is fair to describe the CFMEU record as dismal.”
Fines were also laid for right of entry breaches at an aged care facility site and a residential construction site in suburban Adelaide.
Fair Work Building and Construction has now launched separate Federal Court cases against the CFMEU over claims of misconduct at other construction sites across the state.
CFMEU national secretary Dave Noonan says the union will not apologise for protecting workers.
“We've had a significant number of reports in Adelaide of contractors with bad safety practices on their jobs and engaging in sham contracting and rip-offs of workers,” he told AAP.
“The union is going to continue to attend to those issues.”