More than 50 construction workers are facing penalties after the Federal Court found they took unlawful strike action when they attended a CFMEU rally at a Perth children's hospital construction site in 2013, but the union says the case is a complete "farce".
The FWO has used accessorial liability provisions to secure substantial penalties across the chain of command of a frozen yoghurt franchise responsible for underpaying four overseas workers.
The CFMEU construction and general division's Victorian branch spent $13.1 million on legal costs in the 12 months to the end of last year, up more than five-fold from $2.3 million in 2014.
The CFMEU says it will appeal to a full Federal Court over a judge's refusal to let it withdraw admissions that it was liable for right of entry contraventions by five officials at three Adelaide construction sites, after the High Court on Friday found the union inappropriately invoked its jurisdiction.
A director who appears to be operating a "phoenix" labour hire company and his former HR manager have been penalised $25,000 for their knowing involvement in unlawfully deducting $130,000 from the wages of 102 Crown Casino and Federation Square cleaners and providing false records to the FWO.
The Turnbull Government will introduce legislation early next year to give the Fair Work Ombudsman new examination powers and expressly prohibit employers from providing false and misleading information.
Concrete supplier Boral suffered "substantial losses and damage" from a boycott organised by the Victorian CFMEU because it was a crucial supplier to Grocon, the Federal Court heard today.
The FWBC is seeking an urgent injunction against the CFMEU and seven officials over strikes and stoppages on nine sites across Brisbane, including the city's tallest skyscraper.
Former HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson has given up her passport and must continue to reside in her Wombarra home near Sydney after appearing today in Melbourne Magistrates' Court.
Unions are threatening a class action to counter the practices of "Dickensian" digital marketplaces such as Airtasker, claiming that it is failing to ensure that workers who secure jobs through its platform are provided with minimum rates of pay.
