CFMMEU cops extra fines over Brisbane worksite strikes

A militant construction union has been slapped with an extra $146,000 of fines over a series of strikes and stoppages at Brisbane worksites after the full bench of the Federal Court ruled earlier penalties weren’t tough enough.

The strikes impacted large-scale construction projects in Brisbane Picture: AAP Image/Attila Csaszar

A MILITANT construction union has been slapped with an extra $146,000 of fines over a series of strikes and stoppages at Brisbane worksites after the full bench of the Federal Court ruled earlier penalties weren’t tough enough.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining, Maritime and Energy Union had been fined $432,000 for 16 strikes and work stoppages in 2016 that were allegedly aimed at coercing Hutchinson Builders to only employ subcontractors who had entered into an enterprise agreement with the union.

According to court documents, CFMMEU officials Matthew Parfitt, Justin Steele, Kurt Pauls, Edward Bland, Antonio Floro, Anthony Stott and Michael Davis targeted nine Brisbane construction sites, instigating strikes and disrupting work 16 times from August 25, 2016 to September 27, 2016.

The strikes impacted large-scale construction projects in Brisbane including the Skytower, Newstead Central Apartments and the Toowong Illumina projects and resulted in a series of concrete pours being cancelled.

The $432,000 fine was today increased to $668,000 after the full bench of the Federal Court upheld an appeal by the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner which argued the original court order “had not imposed penalties for all of the unlawful conduct committed by the CFMMEU”.

“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 judges wrote.

The stoppages caused 139 staff to cease work on September 13, 2016, 97 staff to cease work on September 14 and 99 employees stopped work on September 23.

Concrete pours had to be cancelled four times at construction sites.

“I adopt the primary judge’s findings that the Union intended that loss be suffered, and infer that loss must have been suffered by someone,” the judge wrote.

The primary judge described the union’s history of offending as “extensive” and “vast”.