Fair Work Ombudsman
At a glance
- Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU)
- $247,540
What happened
The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and three officials, the Applicant, Travis Brook, and Desmond Savage, have been penalised for unlawful conduct at a construction site in Adelaide. The site was the Yatala Labour Prison upgrade project in Northfield, in 2021. The Applicant and Travis Brook breached the Fair Work Act by acting improperly, including entering an exclusion zone and making abusive statements. Desmond Savage breached the Fair Work Act by taking adverse action against a site safety manager. The legal action was initially commenced by the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) before transferring to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
What was decided
The Federal Court imposed penalties totaling $247,540 against the CFMEU and its officials. The CFMEU was penalised $213,840, the Applicant $18,900, Travis Brook $7,200, and Desmond Savage $7,600. The court found the officials’ actions included verbal abuse, entering an exclusion zone, and physically threatening behaviour. Justice O’Sullivan stated penalties were needed to deter similar conduct. The Fair Work Ombudsman has secured over $3 million in penalties since cases were transferred from the ABCC.
What it means for employers
Employers in the building and construction industry must ensure their employees and representatives comply with workplace laws. This includes avoiding threatening behaviour, adverse action, and improper conduct on worksites. The Fair Work Ombudsman will investigate and hold accountable those who breach these laws.
What it means for employees
Employees have a right to a safe and respectful workplace. If you witness or experience unlawful conduct, such as threats or intimidation, you can seek information, advice, and assistance from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Want this applied to your situation?
Reading the decision is free. FairWork Mate goes further — it reads the full case library and applies precedents like this one to your specific facts, citing the cases as it reasons. General information, not a guaranteed outcome or legal advice.
Send your details to Liquid Employment Lawyers
Liquid Employment Lawyers is a paid legal service and our referral partner, not free Fair Work advice. FairWork Mate may receive a referral fee from Liquid Legal. Tell them what has happened and a member of their team will call you back. For free general guidance, use our tools or call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
Prefer to read first? About Liquid Employment Lawyers · Not sure if you need a lawyer? Read the legal help guides
Want more cases like this?
FairWork Mate tracks Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission and Federal Court decisions across Australia. The AI advisor answers plain-English questions grounded on the full corpus — awards cited, industry, penalty amounts and affected employee counts — with a citation to the underlying decision on every answer.
FairWork Mate AI
This is one decision. Pro reads all of them.
Free case pages cite the top 250 decisions. Pro opens the full Fair Work Commission and Federal Court library, cross-references your own situation against it, and cites the decision behind every answer — plus document upload, so it can read your letter or contract line by line. 150 questions a month, cancel anytime.
Renews monthly at A$29.99 until you cancel. By continuing you agree to our Terms.
Get notified on new Fair Work cases
Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.