Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Huddy (No 2) [2017] FCA 1088

The respondents (employees, union officials, and the CFMEU) were found to have contravened various provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), including engaging in unlawful industrial action with intent to coerce, failing to comply with enterprise agreement dispute resolution, and, in the case of Mr Huddy, acting improperly while exercising entry rights. The Court held the CFMEU accessorially liable for Mr Huddy’s contravention under ss 550 and 793. Appropriate penalties were to be individually determined for each contravention, applying ss 556 and 557 to avoid double punishment and consistent with precedents on penalty fixation.

Parties: Applicant: Australian Building and Construction Commissioner; First Respondent: Michael Huddy; Second Respondent: Craig Tait; Third Respondent: Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union; Fourth Respondent: Stevan Allan; Fifth Respondent: Richard Alley; Sixth Respondent: Quentin Bartlett; Seventh Respondent: Corinne Boyd; Eighth Respondent: David Bright; Ninth Respondent: Oliver Canute; Tenth Respondent: Glynn Churchyard; Eleventh Respondent: Desmond Collins; Twelfth Respondent: Wade Couzens; Thirteenth Respondent: Stuart Croft; Fourteenth Respondent: Nathan Crossen; Fifteenth Respondent: Carl Dawson; Sixteenth Respondent: Liam Day; Seventeenth Respondent: Matthew De-Nittis; Eighteenth Respondent: Carl Delaney; Nineteenth Respondent: Cole Diedrich; Twentieth Respondent: Gregory Dufty; Twenty First Respondent: Michael Elliot; Twenty Second Respondent: Chris Fowles; Twenty Third Respondent: Anthony Giannone; Twenty Fourth Respondent: Clint Gibbings; Twenty Fifth Respondent: John Gilder; Twenty Sixth Respondent: Kent Grace; Twenty Seventh Respondent: Brett Griffiths; Twenty Eighth Respondent: Karl Hanley; Twenty Ninth Respondent: Jordan Hanson; Thirtieth Respondent: Greg Hines; Thirty First Respondent: Matt Hore; Thirty Second Respondent: Jarrod Jackson; Thirty Third Respondent: Gavan James; Thirty Fourth Respondent: Garth Kent; Thirty Fifth Respondent: Matthew Kerrigan; Thirty Sixth Respondent: Andreas Kirchhof; Thirty Seventh Respondent: Phill Landrigan; Thirty Eighth Respondent: Steven Lowe; Thirty Ninth Respondent: Christopher Lynd; Fortieth Respondent: Russell Mavin; Forty First Respondent: Timothy McCarthy; Forty Second Respondent: Jason Moody; Forty Third Respondent: Scott Morse; Forty Fourth Respondent: Raphael Mouauri; Forty Fifth Respondent: Derick Mulhall; Forty Sixth Respondent: Gary Mullins; Forty Seventh Respondent: Cian Murphy; Forty Eighth Respondent: Nola Ngata; Forty Ninth Respondent: Bernard Niki; Fiftieth Respondent: Noovao Noovao; Fifty First Respondent: Ashley Owen; Fifty Second Respondent: Dimitrios Panatos; Fifty Third Respondent: Ephraim Piiti; Fifty Fourth Respondent: Wayne Rossiter; Fifty Fifth Respondent: Michael Ryan; Fifty Sixth Respondent: Christopher Smith; Fifty Seventh Respondent: Sean Smith; Fifty Eighth Respondent: Michael Soul; Fifty Ninth Respondent: Kris Steele; Sixtieth Respondent: Daniel Subotic; Sixty First Respondent: Mitchell Sutcliffe; Sixty Second Respondent: Benjamin Teudet; Sixty Third Respondent: Saron Thomasson; Sixty Fourth Respondent: Benjamin Tito; Sixty Fifth Respondent: Tou Uniua; Sixty Sixth Respondent: Jade Watson; Sixty Seventh Respondent: Michael Weeks; Sixty Eighth Respondent: Brendan Weiss; Sixty Ninth Respondent: Nathan Whitfield
Jurisdiction: Australia
Judgment Date: 14 September 2017
Procedural Posture: Civil Penalty Proceeding / Penalty and Remedies Determination After Earlier Liability Determination
Outcome: Declarations of contraventions made. Pecuniary penalties imposed on numerous respondents for various contraventions; penalties to be paid to the Commonwealth. No order as to costs.
Legal Topics: Industrial Action, Accessorial Liability, Enterprise Agreements, Civil Penalties, Workplace Rights, Right of Entry

Industrial Law Employment Law Industrial Action Accessorial Liability Enterprise Agreements Civil Penalties Workplace Rights Right of Entry

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Parties

Australian Building and Construction Commissioner

Applicant

Michael Huddy

First Respondent

Craig Tait

Second Respondent

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

Third Respondent

Stevan Allan

Fourth Respondent

Richard Alley

Fifth Respondent

Quentin Bartlett

Sixth Respondent

Corinne Boyd

Seventh Respondent

David Bright

Eighth Respondent

Oliver Canute

Ninth Respondent

Glynn Churchyard

Tenth Respondent

Desmond Collins

Eleventh Respondent

Wade Couzens

Twelfth Respondent

Stuart Croft

Thirteenth Respondent

Nathan Crossen

Fourteenth Respondent

Carl Dawson

Fifteenth Respondent

Liam Day

Sixteenth Respondent

Matthew De-Nittis

Seventeenth Respondent

Carl Delaney

Eighteenth Respondent

Cole Diedrich

Nineteenth Respondent

Gregory Dufty

Twentieth Respondent

Michael Elliot

Twenty First Respondent

Chris Fowles

Twenty Second Respondent

Anthony Giannone

Twenty Third Respondent

Clint Gibbings

Twenty Fourth Respondent

John Gilder

Twenty Fifth Respondent

Kent Grace

Twenty Sixth Respondent

Brett Griffiths

Twenty Seventh Respondent

Karl Hanley

Twenty Eighth Respondent

Jordan Hanson

Twenty Ninth Respondent

Greg Hines

Thirtieth Respondent

Matt Hore

Thirty First Respondent

Jarrod Jackson

Thirty Second Respondent

Gavan James

Thirty Third Respondent

Garth Kent

Thirty Fourth Respondent

Matthew Kerrigan

Thirty Fifth Respondent

Andreas Kirchhof

Thirty Sixth Respondent

Phill Landrigan

Thirty Seventh Respondent

Steven Lowe

Thirty Eighth Respondent

Christopher Lynd

Thirty Ninth Respondent

Russell Mavin

Fortieth Respondent

Timothy McCarthy

Forty First Respondent

Jason Moody

Forty Second Respondent

Scott Morse

Forty Third Respondent

Raphael Mouauri

Forty Fourth Respondent

Derick Mulhall

Forty Fifth Respondent

Gary Mullins

Forty Sixth Respondent

Cian Murphy

Forty Seventh Respondent

Nola Ngata

Forty Eighth Respondent

Bernard Niki

Forty Ninth Respondent

Noovao Noovao

Fiftieth Respondent

Ashley Owen

Fifty First Respondent

Dimitrios Panatos

Fifty Second Respondent

Ephraim Piiti

Fifty Third Respondent

Wayne Rossiter

Fifty Fourth Respondent

Michael Ryan

Fifty Fifth Respondent

Christopher Smith

Fifty Sixth Respondent

Sean Smith

Fifty Seventh Respondent

Michael Soul

Fifty Eighth Respondent

Kris Steele

Fifty Ninth Respondent

Daniel Subotic

Sixtieth Respondent

Mitchell Sutcliffe

Sixty First Respondent

Benjamin Teudet

Sixty Second Respondent

Saron Thomasson

Sixty Third Respondent

Benjamin Tito

Sixty Fourth Respondent

Tou Uniua

Sixty Fifth Respondent

Jade Watson

Sixty Sixth Respondent

Michael Weeks

Sixty Seventh Respondent

Brendan Weiss

Sixty Eighth Respondent

Nathan Whitfield

Sixty Ninth Respondent

Procedural Posture

Civil Penalty Proceeding / Penalty and Remedies Determination After Earlier Liability Determination

Legal Issues

1 Whether respondents contravened ss 50, 343, 348, 417(1), 500 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
2 Whether CFMEU was accessorially liable under ss 550 and 793
3 Appropriate declarations and penalties for multiple contraventions under ss 556 and 557

Ratio Decidendi

Court Disposition

Declarations of contraventions made. Pecuniary penalties imposed on numerous respondents for various contraventions; penalties to be paid to the Commonwealth. No order as to costs.

Orders

First Respondent (Huddy) to pay pecuniary penalties for accessorial contraventions and s 500 contravention.
Second Respondent (Tait) to pay pecuniary penalties for accessorial contraventions.