May 18, 2015
The ACT branch of the CFMEU construction union has sought legal advice claiming their officials are being bullied and intimidated by Australian Federal Police officers.
A spokesman for ACT Policing confirmed two general duties officers attended an office in Dickson on Friday, but would not make further comment on the matter.
CFMEU ACT secretary Dean Hall said the officers approached three union officials on Friday morning and proposed they be interviewed on video about potential charges relating to trespass.
The allegations come three weeks after construction union officials claim they were intimidated on a building site in Turner by between 10 and 12 AFP officers, who forced them to leave the site.
Mr Hall said CFMEU officials were investigating serious safety breaches at the Turner site. Soon after being invited onto the site, the police were called and they arrived immediately.
"The AFP is making it a number one priority to intervene on behalf of builders to stop our legal right of entry," Mr Hall said.
"They're trying to intimidate us. They're trying to get us caught up in legal action to waste our time, using tax payers money to entangle the union in multiple cases with their infinite resources.
"It's a tactic of trying to burn us and take away our resources. The tactic is to wear us down."
He said while it wasn't the first time police officers had shown up on a site where the CFMEU was investigating safety breaches, it was the first time police officers had overridden the union's right of entry.
"We have a legal right to enter any site in the ACT if they believe there is a reasonable contravention of the act.
"When did the AFP become some expert on safe building practise? They're becoming the adjudicator of what is safe and unsafe on a construction site."
Mr Hall said the site in Turner had obvious safety breaches occurring, and the builder had a poor safety record.
"They're protecting the interests of the wealthy over the workers. There will be blood on their hands if anything happens," Mr Hall said.
The ACT branch of the CFMEU construction union has sought legal advice claiming their officials are being bullied and intimidated by Australian Federal Police officers.
A spokesman for ACT Policing confirmed two general duties officers attended an office in Dickson on Friday, but would not make further comment on the matter.
CFMEU ACT secretary Dean Hall said the officers approached three union officials on Friday morning and proposed they be interviewed on video about potential charges relating to trespass.
The allegations come three weeks after construction union officials claim they were intimidated on a building site in Turner by between 10 and 12 AFP officers, who forced them to leave the site.
Mr Hall said CFMEU officials were investigating serious safety breaches at the Turner site. Soon after being invited onto the site, the police were called and they arrived immediately.
"The AFP is making it a number one priority to intervene on behalf of builders to stop our legal right of entry," Mr Hall said.
"They're trying to intimidate us. They're trying to get us caught up in legal action to waste our time, using tax payers money to entangle the union in multiple cases with their infinite resources.
"It's a tactic of trying to burn us and take away our resources. The tactic is to wear us down."
He said while it wasn't the first time police officers had shown up on a site where the CFMEU was investigating safety breaches, it was the first time police officers had overridden the union's right of entry.
"We have a legal right to enter any site in the ACT if they believe there is a reasonable contravention of the act.
"When did the AFP become some expert on safe building practise? They're becoming the adjudicator of what is safe and unsafe on a construction site."
Mr Hall said the site in Turner had obvious safety breaches occurring, and the builder had a poor safety record.
"They're protecting the interests of the wealthy over the workers. There will be blood on their hands if anything happens," Mr Hall said.
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