A former full-time CFMEU organiser has identified nearly a dozen people with bikie connections who were given key roles on major construction projects across Victoria, a royal commission has been told.
Paul Tzimas faced the commission on Wednesday, also recalling an instance in which he was given an expensive gold bracelet by underworld figure Mick Gatto.
On occasions Mr Gatto intervened with the union on behalf of employers, Mr Tzimas explained.
Mr Tzimas said he initially refused to take the bracelet but said was convinced to take the gift when Mr Gatto explained it was an “olive branch” and that he didn’t want anything in return.
Prompted by counsel assisting, Chris Carr SC, Mr Tzimas identified 11 CFMEU organisers and health and safety representatives who were either actively affiliated with outlaw motorcycle gangs or had been at other times.
"CFMEU, while you were there, put those people on building sites,” Mr Carr asked.
“Yeah," Mr Tzimas responded.
Mr Carr asked if the CFMEU “pushed pretty hard” to get what it wanted.
“Yeah, to deliver outcomes for working people,” Mr Tzimas replied.
Mr Tzimas admitted to breaching the law multiple times in his capacity as an organiser, resulting in him facing court and being fined.
The commission's initial hearing block is probing the circumstances of a two-day work stoppage on a major level-crossing removal project on Gap Road in Sunbury, northwest of Melbourne, in June 2022.
Work ground to a halt on the project on June 6 of that year after CFMEU delegates occupied the site, issuing dozens of safety notices, blocking machines and refusing to move even when police were called.
Operations only resumed after the union's demands were agreed to during a June 7 meeting, including installing their own union-aligned labour contractors and a health and safety representative, the inquiry was told earlier.
The stoppage was given the lowest priority for resolution by industry watchdog WorkSafe, with inspectors not attending the site until June 8, after the dispute had been resolved.
WorkSafe inspector Quinton Drury told the commission the situation at Gap Road was assigned the lowest priority level possible.
Mr Drury explained issues were assigned a priority based on their risk to safety, rather than other impacts such as a work stoppage or delays to projects.
During the June 8 inspection only "minor" safety issues were identified, those being piling holes on site which were not sufficiently covered.
"Those issues were remedied at the time of our inspection," Mr Drury said.
Mr Drury said that, in his experience, tensions would arise between inspectors and union members if the safety notices they were raising were not supported.
“Tensions may rise if they feel as if they're not supported," he said.
"It could go a little bit south."
