Justice Shane Marshall this week threw out a claim by the former Building Industry Taskforce that construction company Multiplex had coerced a sub-contractor to make an agreement with the CFMEU.
In his ruling Justice Marshall said reasonable people might view the conduct of the government authority in secretly taping conversations, while not illegal, was "devious and underhanded".
CFMEU Construction Division national secretary John Sutton said the judge's comments reflect a wider view in the community that secret surveillance of workers is not simply unjust but also highlights the removal of basic civil rights all Australians understand and expect.
"The Howard Government has hidden behind its claim of industry reform to remove some of the basic rights all Australians understand, such as free speech and the right to privacy," Mr Sutton said.
"The new Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act has become the first brutal example of this.
"To achieve its goal of control, government officials are now empowered to spy on workers, develop a series of secret files on their industrial activity and even jail them if they refuse to dob in workmates.
"All Australians should be concerned about these changes as the government has already made it clear they are the future blueprint for the whole Australian workforce."
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