Ten Western Australian Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union officials are among 72 nationally before the courts for alleged workplace law breaches, according to the Fair Work Building Commission.
Ten Western Australian Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union officials are among 72 nationally before the courts for alleged workplace law breaches, according to the Fair Work Building Commission.
The revelation will add pressure to the federal government’s push to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission, legislation for the return of which is currently before the Senate.
There are 50 alleged breaches between the 10 WA unionists; CFMEU assistant secretary Joseph McDonald has10, while state secretary Michael Buchan has nine.
Mr McDonald is no stranger to the courtroom, having reportedly been fined $30,000 for an incident of workplace bullying last year.
Analysis reported in 2014 indicated Mr McDonald had personally cost the union upwards of $1 million since 2005.
Other WA officials before the courts include president Campbell McCullough on one alleged breach, organiser Bradley Upton on eight alleged breaches, and organisers Steven McCann and Patrick Heathcoate on six alleged breaches each, according to a FWBC document received by Business News.
A spokesperson from the CFMEU WA branch refused to comment when contacted by Business News today.
In evidence given to federal parliament’s education and employment legislation committee late last night, Fair Work Building Commission director Nigel Hadgkiss revealed national secretary Dave Noonan, five state secretaries and seven assistant secretaries were currently before the courts.
Of the 72, 14 are facing courts to have their permits suspended or revoked, but between the remaining 58 there are a total of 403 alleged workplace law breaches.
The majority of complaints the FWBC received were relating to the CFMEU, Mr Hadgkiss said.
“My agency does not pick and choose who it puts before the courts,” he said.
“Where there are allegations of law-breaking within our jurisdiction, we investigate.
“If there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest, then we take the matter to court.
“We do this without fear or favour.”
It follows the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption’s recommendations late last year that criminal charges be investigated over a number of acts of coercion and intimidation by CFMEU officials nationwide.
The report was very critical of the construction union, concluding there was a “culture of wilful defiance of the law which appears to lie at the core of the CFMEU”.
