Construction union sued over claims of bullying and intimidation at Palmerston Police Station
THE Australian Building and Construction Commission is suing the NT Construction Forestry Maritime Mining Energy Union over claims of threats and intimidation at Palmerston Police Station site
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THE Australian Building and Construction Commission is suing the NT Construction Forestry Maritime Mining Energy Union over claims of threats and intimidation at Palmerston Police Station site.
The ABCC launched proceedings against the CFMMEU and six of its Queensland-based officials alleging they intimidated NT Worksafe Inspectors and demanded the head contractor shut down construction at the Palmerston Police Station site.
In a statement, the ABCC said it currently had a case in every state and territory against the CFMMEU’s construction division.
“In addition to the allegation of intimidation, the ABCC is also claiming the union officials engaged in adverse action, coercion and misrepresentation while at the site and acted in an improper manner while exercising right of entry,” the statement read.
“The ABCC alleges in its statement of claim that during a site entry on 14 May 2018 the head contractor called ABCC officers and NT Worksafe Inspectors to the site after two of the CFMMEU officials repeatedly demanded that the contractor shut the site down claiming there were safety issues and threatened that the contractor would “pay the price” if it failed to do so.
“After the ABCC officers attended the site, three of the CFMMEU officials told the site’s Health and Safety Advisor that they were going to make it hard on him because the ABCC had attended the site and because NT WorkSafe Inspectors were coming.
“The same three CFMMEU officials said to the Health and Safety Advisor words to the effect that “we’re going to go through ya now”.”
The maximum penalty in this case is $63,000 for a body corporate and $12,600 for an individual.
CFMMEU’s construction division has been contacted for comment.
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