CFMEU penalised record $428k over Adelaide conduct

Union and six officials hit with record fines for unlawful conduct on the $165 million Adelaide Airport redevelopment.

The CFMEUyheld their own opening of Adelaide International Airport after failing to receive invites for all the workers. Picture: Sam Mooy

The CFMEU and six officials have been penalised $428,250 for unlawful conduct during the $165m Adelaide Airport redevelopment, the highest penalty ­imposed against the union in South Australia for five years.

The unlawful conduct by the officials included misrepresentations the requirement to show their entry permits, refusing to follow directions, and acting in an improper manner.

Desmond Savage and Te Aranui Albert, were found to have repeatedly verbally abused a construction company worker.

Alex Tadic, Anthony Sloane and Adrian McManus arrived at the Adelaide Airport construction site in 2019 citing suspected safety concerns. When asked to present their entry permits, Mr McManus, who was the only permit holder, declined while Mr Tadic said: “We don’t have them, and we will be going on site anyway.”

On May 23, 2019, official Clarence Fellowes cited suspected safety concerns on the site but refused to produce his entry permit and did not follow a lawful direction to attend the site office.

On June 20, 2019, Mr Savage and Mr Albert went on site and repeatedly abused a construction company employee.

The Federal Court found one or both said “f..k you I’m not dealing with you”, “you’re a f..king waste of space”, “he’s a piece of shit”, “you’re a f..king idiot”, “you don’t know what you are f..king doing”, and “go do your f..king colouring-in books you c..t”.

The court said while a degree of coarse language occurred on construction sites, the “language used by Mr Savage and Mr ­Albert, and the sentiments they conveyed, went well beyond coarseness”.

In assessing penalties, the court said the union’s history of prior contraventions “bespeaks an indifference to, if not a ­defiance of, its obligations to comply with the law”.

Australian Building and Construction Commission head ­Stephen McBurney said the officials’ repeated refusal to comply with their legal right of entry ­obligations demonstrated their disdain for the rule of law.

The national secretary of the union’s construction division, Dave Noonan, said: “The CFMEU is focused on protecting members’ health and safety and jobs during the Covid crisis. The ABCC is obsessed with attacking construction workers’ wages and conditions and policing swearing on building sites.”