Victoria’s union shame: CFMEU racks up more than $1m in fines

A MILITANT Victorian building union racked up more than $1.1 million in court fines last year, as it has emerged the state leads the country in illegal building activity.

A MILITANT building union incurred more than $1.1 million in fines last year in Victoria, a state that has more illegal construction industry activity than anywhere else in the nation.

The building industry’s ­federal watchdog, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, said it had begun 38 investigations into Victoria’s industry, more than in any other state or territory.

Most involved accusations of threats and thuggery by the Victorian branch of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union — a union a federal judge said last year was unlikely to be deterred from ­illegal workplace activity by any penalty, however high.

The ABCC said it was particularly concerned that, of the year’s probes, 16 related to ­coercion, in which a builder defying union demands faced threatened industrial action.

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The CFMEU’s Victorian division was fined for illegal workplace activities last year. Picture: File image

Of others, seven related to wages and entitlements, five to unlawful industrial actions, five to the right of entry, two to sham contracting, and three to freedom of association.

The Federal Court imposed $1.12 million in fines against the CFMEU’s Victorian division and officials for illegal workplace activities last year.

In one case the union was fined $590,800 for organising a walkout at nine sites in 2014.

Acting Commissioner Cliff Pettit said Victoria accounted for 36 per cent of the nation’s court-imposed penalties.

The CFMEU said an ideological hatred of unions was driving the ABCC and the ­Coalition federal government.

“While our government squanders millions of taxpayer dollars on themselves and their lavish lifestyles in an economy with zero wage growth, the Victorian branch has bucked the trend and achieved decent pay increases,” its spokesman said.

“This is the reason why we are, and will remain, the ABCC’s primary focus.”

Master Builders chief executive Radley de Silva said the CFMEU’s willingness to flout the law meant builders had to contend “with unlawful industrial action with great ­frequency.”

He said this activity hijacked the Victorian economy.

The ABCC has also carried out 66 audits of builders to check whether they are meeting the federal building code.

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