Today the Federal Court added to the litany of evidence of misconduct by the militant Victorian CFMEU, ordering it to pay $168,000 in penalties for thuggish, bullying and abusive behaviour on the Allan Labor Government's $10 billion West Gate Tunnel Project.
In late 2019, two CFMEU officials entered the West Gate Tunnel Project late at night while five bridge beams were being lifted for the construction of an overpass. The West Gate Freeway was closed for this purpose. The CFMEU officials alleged there were safety issues and stopped the lifting works from proceeding. The building contractor contacted WorkSafe and Victoria Police, who later attended the site.
The WorkSafe Inspector advised there were no safety issues and said work could proceed, but the CFMEU officials refused to leave the site, preventing any work from continuing. Victoria Police requested the CFMEU officials to leave, but they refused.
The CFMEU officials then engaged in intimidatory and "hostile" conduct, accusing the WorkSafe Inspector of being "corrupt" and a "lap dog" of the builder.
The CFMEU officials accused Victoria Police officers of:
- "Acting as a lap dog" for the builder;
- Being on the builder's "payroll"; and
- Victoria Police members were "corruption at its finest".
The CFMEU officials remained on the site for over six and a half hours, leaving at about 3.00am. None of the scheduled works were completed, causing a massive waste of money and resources.
Today's Federal Court judgment found that the CFMEU's deliberate holding up of work on the West Gate Tunnel Project was a "thuggish assertion of control over how the site should operate" and that they engaged in "unwarranted insults and abuse".
Justice Snaden found:
There is no possible justification for the conduct in which they engaged; and yet each felt licensed to obstruct the performance of work, and to bully and abuse those who sought to persuade them not to, including independent third parties who were unwittingly called upon to deploy their expertise in a difficult situation in the middle of the night.
Shadow Minister for Industry, Bridget Vallence, said: "Today's judgment is yet another example of thuggish, bullying and abusive behaviour of the CFMEU on Labor's Big Build projects.
"It is abhorrent that public service officials, such as WorkSafe Inspectors and members of Victoria Police going about their everyday jobs, are treated in such an appalling manner on Victorian Government Building sites.
"No one deserves, to be insulted, harassed and bullied at work on Victorian Government Big Build Projects.
"This case is clear evidence of the appalling behaviour that took place on our major infrastructure projects under Jacinta Allan's watch as Minister, costing Victorian taxpayers billions of dollars in budget blowouts.
"Why did Premier Jacinta Allan allow this appalling conduct to occur, and what did WorkSafe do to protect and stand up for their Inspectors?
"CFMEU is a recidivist offender and continues to break the law as a cost of doing business, which is why it should be deregistered and a Royal Commission held."
