The latest case of CFMMEU (The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union) bullying reinforces the need for Parliament to pass the ‘Ensuring Integrity’ laws.
“This is the fifth judgment handed down in the last four weeks where the CFMMEU has bullied small businesses to either sign union deals, or to force workers to join the union. – resulting in almost $600,000 in penalties for what the Court has now called a “war” by the CFMMEU against the rights of workers and small business” said Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said.
The Federal Court has imposed fines of almost $70,000 against the CFMMEU and an official for conducting what it observed to be a “war” against the right of workers to be free to decide whether or not to join a union.
This latest judgment found that the CFMMEU and its official unlawfully stopped an apprentice and an electrician from working on a Frankston construction site because they weren’t union members.
The Court found the union had broken the Freedom of Association provisions within the Fair Work Act, when the official told the apprentice and the electrician that they weren’t allowed to come on site because they didn’t have a union membership card.
“Since the start of 2017, they have accounted for 88% of the total breaches of the Fair Work laws that deal with Freedom of Association, Right of Entry and Coercion – which is 44 times higher than the breaches of all other unions combined,” Denita Wawn said.
“Today’s judgment hammers home the message that workers and small business deserve better than the CFMMEU. Bullying and thuggish behaviour have no place on building sites or in any workplace, Denita Wawn said.
