NewsBite

CFMEU treats $19m in fines as ‘cost of doing business’

Updated

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

The CFMEU’s construction division has racked up about $19 million in penalties over the past eight years for breaches of workplace laws – the latest just on Thursday – that judges say the union regards as “a cost of doing business”.

Prosecutions under the Fair Work Act conducted by the Australian Building and Construction Commission from 2016 through 2022, then the Fair Work Ombudsman, have also led to courts ordering CFMEU officials to pay fines out of their own pockets.

Loading...
Michael Pelly is the legal editor, based in our Sydney newsroom. He has been a senior adviser to federal and state attorneys-general and written two books, one a biography of former High Court Chief Justice Murray Gleeson. Email Michael at michael.pelly@afr.com
David Marin-Guzman writes about industrial relations, workplace, policy and leadership from Sydney. Connect with David on Twitter. Email David at david.marin-guzman@afr.com

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

Read More

Latest In Politics

Fetching latest articles

Most Viewed In Politics

    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/politics/cfmeu-treats-19m-in-fines-as-cost-of-doing-business-20240716-p5ju6r