CFMMEU and officials fined $522,000 over strikes

The construction union and seven officials have been fined $522,000 over strikes against Hutchinson Builders across Brisbane.

The construction union and seven of its officials have been fined $522,000 over a series of strikes against Hutchinson Builders at nine projects across Brisbane in 2016.

The construction union and seven of its officials have been fined $522,000 over a series of strikes against Hutchinson Builders at nine projects across Brisbane in 2016.

Officials visited nine sites, convened meetings and organised the workers to stop work on nine dates in August and September 2016. The strikes were designed to coerce Hutchinson into hiring a contractor covered by a union enterprise agreement.

The Federal Court found the conduct of the officials contributed to a “deliberate, premeditated and sustained campaign of unlawful industrial behaviour ­orchestrated by the CFMMEU, including elements of intimidation, threat and coercion”.

“The timing of the disruption at the various sites was such that eight concrete pours were cancelled due to the stoppages,’’ judge Berna Collier said.

The Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union, which showed no contrition, was fined $432,000, while the officials were fined $90,000. The union will pay the fines on behalf of the officials.

Justice Collier said the history of contraventions by the union demonstrated a strong need for deterrence and a requirement for high penalties. She supported a previous judgment that the union’s record of contraventions “bespeaks an organisational culture in the union in which contraventions of the law have become normalised”.

Australian Building and Construction Commissioner Stephen McBurney said the unlawful conduct in the case was a serious concern. “The overwhelming pressure applied in this case was aimed at forcing a head contractor to discriminate against smaller subcontractors who did not have CFMMEU enterprise agreements,” Mr McBurney said.