John Setka’s mate John Perkovic set to take up the role of construction co-ordinator under Victorian CFMEU secretary Zach Smith

A close friend of John Setka who was banned from attending work sites for 18 months is set to take up a leadership role in the CFMEU despite video showing his foul-mouthed rant at a building industry inspector.

A CFMEU official who once stood over a building industry inspector he said was “sh-tting yellow” is set to be the union’s contact point for construction issues.

John Perkovic, who is described as a close mate of former CFMEU boss John Setka,

is set to take up the role of construction co-ordinator under Victorian secretary Zach Smith.

It is one of a handful of leadership roles that are similar to executive positions while a union is in administration.

John Perkovic is set to be the union’s contact point for construction issues.

In 2014, Mr Perkovic was filmed verbally abusing a Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate worker in Adelaide, and was later banned from attending work sites for 18 months.

During the tirade, tendered to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, the union enforcer was shown leaning close to the inspector and calling him a “piece of shit” who was “just about having a heart attack”.

“You’re shitting yellow, you piece of sh-t,” he says in the video.

“Go f—ing brush your teeth next time, you piece of sh-t.”

Mr Perkovic’s rant was caught on video. Picture: YouTube/ABC News

A spokesman for the CFMEU administrator said no new co-ordinators had been appointed this week and declined to comment further.

But unions and CFMEU organisers have been told to direct construction industry issues to Mr Perkovic, and that an appointment is imminent.

The move, which comes at a time administrator Mark Irving KC is aiming to fix cultural issues at the union and stamp out thuggery, has raised eyebrows.

One senior industry figure said appointing co-ordinators who were aligned to dumped executives that dominated the CFMEU during its implosion was about trying to secure support from members.

“Isn’t the administration supposed to be about cultural change?” they said.

Former CFMEU boss John Setka is a close mate of Mr Perkovic. Picture: Roy Van DerVegt

Mr Irving was installed as administrator last year by the Albanese Government, following revelations the CFMEU had been infiltrated by criminals and underworld figures including bikies, with hundreds of elected officials removed from their positions.

A High Court challenge to the administration, led by former union officials in Queensland and backed by aligned unions, recently failed – paving the way for more officials to be shown the door.

Some trade union figures have attacked the process as a witch hunt, saying it has led to high-profile women – including Labor administrative committee representative Lisa Andrew and high profile organiser Kylie Brown – being pushed out.

A recording of Ms Andrew slamming Australian Council of Trades Hall secretary Sally McManus was recently leaked to media, while in 2020 Ms Brown was caught up in a war between Mr Setka and former national secretary Michael O’Connor.

Dumped officials have had to sign nondisclosure agreements to get redundancy packages, so can’t discuss the process.