The Supreme Court of Victoria has also ordered that the CFMEU must pay costs.
鈥淭he penalty is unprecedented in size and reflects the ongoing actions of a union鈥檚 disregard for the rule of law and standards of behaviour that apply to everyone else,鈥� said minister for employment Eric Abetz. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision sends a clear message that the sort of behaviour engaged in by the CFMEU is unacceptable.
鈥淚t is unacceptable to blockade a building site, intimidate staff, threaten and vilify employees and engage in battles with police in CBD streets. It is equally unacceptable to deliberately defy orders of the highest court in Victoria.鈥�
The verdict was welcomed by the Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Vecci). 鈥淭here is no place for intimidation and harassment at work, attacks on an employer鈥檚 right to decide who it wants to employ or contempt for our courts,鈥� said Vecci 聽chief executive Mark Stone. 鈥淰ecci applauds Grocon for having the courage to stand-up to the CFMEU and pursue it through the court system. No other business should have to go through what Grocon has endured.鈥�
Stone added that Vecci congratulates the Victorian government for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Grocon to demonstrate it will not tolerate the rule of law being so flagrantly ignored. 鈥淚ts support for a business confronted with unlawful behaviour, and its recent 鈥榤ove-on鈥� laws, have both been welcomed by Victorian business,鈥� he said.
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