THE Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union and its shop steward Kevin Pattinson have been fined nearly $70,000 for preventing an apprentice and electrician from working at a Frankston construction site.
It was alleged that the two tradies were stopped from working because they were not members of a union.
It was alleged that Mr Pattinson had asked the apprentice and electrician if they were union members at a site induction at the Monash Peninsula Student Accommodation Project on 13 September, 2018.
The workers were allegedly told they had to be members of a union to work at the site, and were prevented from working when they said they were not members.
On 14 October the federal court fined the CFMMEU the equivalent of a single maximum penalty of $63,000, and fined Mr Pattinson $6,000.
Australian Building and Construction Commission Deputy Commissioner Matt Kelleher said “all workers have a right to choose whether or not they want to become a member of a union.”
“Workers cannot be prevented by union officials or anyone else from working on an Australian building and construction site because they are not a union member. A no ticket, no start policy is unlawful,” he said.