Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is recalling both houses of parliament for a crunch vote on the bills to re-establish the ABCC and set up the Registered Organisations Commission, which is expected to pave the way for a double dissolution election.
The Federal Circuit Court has imposed almost $60,000 in penalties for a "blatant single breach" of the Fair Work Act in which a CFMEU official discarded workers' food from a lunch shed, padlocked the door and said the facility was for union members only.
The AWU has accused the construction watchdog of seeking to "terrorise" construction workers and their families by serving prosecution notices on 52 workers over the weekend after a year-long investigation.
Key crossbench senators have sided with Labor and the Greens to delay a vote on legislation to re-establish the ABCC until at least the middle of March.
The Turnbull Government is threatening a double dissolution election if the Senate refuses to pass the Bill it reintroduced today to re-establish the ABCC.
The FWBC's annual report shows it has dramatically increased litigation on coercion and right of entry matters since it shifted focus under the leadership of Nigel Hadgkiss.
The Federal Circuit Court has questioned why the FWBC chose not to prosecute the director of a phoenixed bricklaying company that failed to pay correct pay and entitlements to several "daily hire" workers.
FWBC director Nigel Hadgkiss has confirmed that 21 of the 53 matters it currently has before the courts concern right of entry breaches, and the issue is at the centre of a further 19 investigations.
