CFMEU stalwart Brian Fitzpatrick. Credit:Wolter Peeters Mr Fitzpatrick said Mr Greenfield told him last year: “You've gone too far this time, you fat c---. You're dead, you're f------ dead. Don't care how many police you've got. I'm coming out tomorrow and you are f---ing dead. Bang.” The revelations about crime and corruption in the construction sector prompted the federal government to call on Labor and the Greens to support the restoration of the Australian Building and Construction Commission. NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has ordered an inquiry into allegations surrounding Barangaroo. CFMEU construction division national secretary Dave Noonan said the union would refer any allegations of criminal conduct to police. Barangaroo developer Lend Lease said it had a "zero tolerance approach towards corrupt or fraudulent behaviour" and would work with authorities.

The Australian Crime Commission confirmed it is working with NSW Police, the NSW Crime Commission and Victorian Police "in respect to ongoing investigations into organised crime links to the building and construction industry." "This work includes the use of the Australian Crime Commission's coercive powers as well as providing national intelligence collection and holdings on a range of criminal entities and vulnerabilities within the sector," the ACC said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. The revelations come with the Australian Crime Commission confirming it is working with NSW Police, the NSW Crime Commission and Victorian Police "in respect to ongoing investigations into organised crime links to the building and construction industry." "This work includes the use of the Australian Crime Commission's coercive powers as well as providing national intelligence collection and holdings on a range of criminal entities and vulnerabilities within the sector," the ACC said. A second senior NSW union official, Andrew Quirk, has backed Mr Fitzpatrick's concerns in a confidential letter to the CFMEU's national secretary, Michael O'Connor. In the letter, Mr Quirk documents a series of corruption allegations, including a claim that NSW CFMEU state secretary Brian Parker “has given unwarranted favourable treatment” to Mr Alex's companies.

Mr Parker – who has owned race horses with one of Mr Alex's associates, building industry figure Denis Delic – has denied giving any preferential treatment to Mr Alex. Mr Parker said he and Mr Alex had a professional relationship but did not socialise. Mr Alex has declined to be interviewed. Fairfax Media last week put questions about Mr Fitzpatrick's death threat claim to the NSW CFMEU executive in order for them to be shown to Mr Greenfield. Neither has responded. Mr Fitzpatrick's sensational allegations come after Tuesday's reports detailing how some CFMEU figures have taken kickbacks from construction industry companies. In return, the CFMEU officials have used their influence to help the companies win contracts to supply labour and other services on major private and government projects. Victorian CFMEU organiser Danny Berardi has resigned after admitting accepting free building work from a company at his home. Mr Fitzpatrick condemned those “putting drug money in the industry, cleaning it, and driving around in flash cars with bling across their neck, living off other people's misery".

He said those people "should not be allowed to prosper and take complete control” and called for a major inquiry. After raising concerns within the NSW branch last year, Mr Fitzpatrick was offered $300,000 in members' money to leave the union quietly. Instead, he resigned with a year's pay late last year and only recently decided to speak out. “What's happening now is getting worse and worse," he said. "It's now at crisis point. Literally at crisis point. It's time for a very serious clean-up. “These people [organised crime figures] are going to drag us all down. We have got to be, unions are supposed to be, representing the workers. But if we become corrupt there is no way we can do that [and] we will lose the lot.” Mr Fitzpatrick, who has held key posts in the NSW branch over the past two decades, said the union's state and national leadership knew about alleged corruption but were either powerless to deal with it or had tried to “smother it".

Mr Alex's business partners and associates in Sydney include ex-Comanchero bikie and convicted criminal Bilal Fatrouny, recently murdered standover man Joe Antoun, and convicted killer and bikie Ian Clissold. In Melbourne his companies have been run by Comanchero Amin Fahkri and hired underworld boss Mick Gatto as a consultant to help build relations with the Victorian CFMEU. Mr Gatto on Tuesday said his business Elite Cranes had no link to bikies. Nor had he been involved in corrupt dealings within the industry. Director of traffic management and labour hire firm KPI, Kevin Ramsay, said his company had no links to bikies and denied reports his company had provided kickbacks to union officials in order to secure work on Victoria's desalination plant and other sites. Got a tip? Email nmckenzie@fairfaxmedia.com.au or Rbaker@fairfaxmedia.com.au