The Federal Court has today again condemned the lawless behaviour of the CFMMEU.
The Court granted an ABCC appeal to increase penalties to $668,000 against the union and seven of its officials for shutting down work at nine construction sites in Brisbane in 2016. The union had been attempting to force the projects to employ its favoured subcontractors.
The Court found that “senior officers of the union orchestrated the campaign” and that:
“the overall conduct involved a deliberate, premeditated and sustained campaign of unlawful industrial behaviour orchestrated by the union, including elements of intimidation, threat and coercion.”
The Court also observed the undisputed fact that the CFMMEU’s history of prior contraventions was ‘extensive’ and ‘vast’.
The conduct threatened the livelihoods of hundreds of subcontractors, whose employees were forced to walk off the job at the behest of militant union bosses. It has increased pressure on the affordability of thousands of residential apartments in central Brisbane.
The CFMMEU and its representatives have now racked up over $16 million in penalties for their unlawful conduct as a result of cases brought by the ABCC and its predecessors.
The CFMMEU has donated over $4.2 million to the Labor Party since Bill Shorten became Leader.
Bill Shorten and the Labor Party must today join the Morrison Government in condemning the lawless behaviour of the CFMMEU that is risking jobs and costing households.
Labor’s promise to abolish the ABCC – and not replace it with any watchdog at all – would give the CFMMEU free reign over construction projects across the country.
Last time Labor was in office, they abolished the ABCC and days lost to industrial action in the construction industry – our third largest industry – increased by nearly seven times.
Labor is a risk to jobs, subbies and the economy.
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