AUSTRALIA’S largest private construction company is accusing the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) of threatening and intimidating behaviour at a $350million development site in Footscray.
Work on Grocon’s McNab Avenue revitalisation project halted on Friday when CFMEU members set up a picket line at the site.
A writ lodged with the Supreme Court late on Monday contended the union stopped the company from accessing the site and threatened any other companies that tried to cross the line.
The McNab Avenue project is being built in partnership with the Victorian government and the site, when completed in 2014, will house the State Trustees and City West Water.
Grocon won an interim Supreme Court injunction against the picket line on Friday, but the ban expired at 4.15pm yesterday.
Appearing before the Chief Justice yesterday, Grocon’s lawyers argued the company will continue to suffer loss or damages unless the CFMEU is permanently banned from any further picketing within 100metres of the site.
Grocon spokesman Michael Zorbas said the best outcome would be for the CFMEU and members involved in Friday’s picket to respect the recent enterprise bargaining agreement.
“We hope the CFMEU chooses to stop disrupting this worthwhile government project that will employ 350 people over the first two years of construction.”
The CFMEU and Grocon have been at loggerheads since early this year after the company moved to push through the first non-union-endorsed enterprise bargaining agreement in a decade.
The CFMEU did not respond to requests for comment.
– Benjamin Millar
