Construction

A Slater and Gordon lawyer representing three unions seeking Fair Work Commission approval for a proposed tie-up, has slammed an “urgent” email from counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills claiming a newly discovered contempt matter involving one of the deal’s applicants should bar approval of the deal.

Courts can stop union officials from seeking union cover to avoid paying court-issued fines for breaking the Fair Work Act, the High Court said Wednesday.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining, and Energy Union has been hit with a record $1 million fine for secondary boycotts at construction sites around Melbourne, a big win for Australia’s consumer regulator in its five-year legal battle with the union.