CFMEU hit with fine for stopping non-union member from working

THE CFMEU has been fined $90,000 over incidents at a Pacific Werribee Shopping Centre construction site.

A MILITANT union and one of its officers have been fined almost $100,000 for stopping a non-union member from working and coercing another to pay his dues.

The Federal Court imposed the penalties on the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and delegate Andrew Harisiou yesterday over incidents at a Pacific Werribee Shopping Centre construction site in 2015.

Acting Australian Building and Construction Commission boss Cathy Catgo said the fines showed that “the courts will not tolerate workers being coerced into joining a union against their will”.

Though fining the union $90,000 and Mr Harisiou $8000, Justice Richard Tracey doubted the fines would be “sufficiently high to deter repetition”, saying the CFMEU would likely treat it as the “necessary cost of enforcing (its) demand that all workers on certain classes of construction sites be union members”.

Mr Harisiou admitted he told one worker: “If you’re not part of the union, you’re not allowed on this site.”

He told another who didn’t want to join the union: “Well, you’re not getting on site.”

That worker was allowed on site after his boss paid his fees.