The national construction union and ten of its officials have been fined a total of $590,800 for an industrial campaign in 2014 that targeted construction sites in Victoria. Fair Work Building and Construction took legal action against the CFMEU and ten officials in the Federal Court of Australia, which issued a series of fines on Tuesday. The Federal Court issued penalties totalling $490,000 against the CFMEU and $100,800 against ten officials. The FWBC alleged the union targeted eight Kane Constructions sites in Melbourne and Geelong with construction projects worth nearly half a billion dollars. The action allegedly resulted in more than 100 construction workers walking off the job on April 2 and May 22, 2014. In his judgement, Christopher Jessup described the CFMEU and its officials as "high-handed and arrogant". He said the industrial action had the "explicit object of inflicting commercial harm" on Kane Constructions. Justice Jessup said "in no instance was there any suggestion of an issue or grievance, specific to the site or the workers on it, that justified, or even explained, the organisation of industrial action". "Rather, the pattern tended to be that one of the respondents would arrive at a site, presumably with some agenda external to the interests of those working there, and disrupt the performance of normal work," he said. "Commonly, this was done without apology or the slightest sense of obligation to the laws which regulate the conduct of industrial relations in Australia." ABCC Commissioner Nigel Hadgkiss welcomed the decision, saying it shows the CFMEU could not ignore its obligations under Australia's workplace laws. "These are substantial penalties for unlawful industrial action which stopped work on key public projects worth nearly half a billion dollars," Mr Hadgkiss said. "The ABCC will continue to work towards ensuring all in the industry, whether workers, unions, or employers, comply with the law. Flagrant disregard for workplace laws cannot be tolerated." CFMEU Victoria Branch Secretary John Setka said fines against the union were out of balance with fines against companies. "Again we see fines issued against unions for their ongoing efforts to protect workers continue to far outweigh fines issued against companies when they break workplace laws that put workers at risk," he said.

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