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McDonald fined over Pilbara meeting

McDonald fined over Pilbara meeting

WA building union heavyweight Joe McDonald and his union have been convicted of unlawful industrial action and fined almost $200,000.

In a decision handed down in the Federal Court of Australia yesterday, the judge found McDonald's actions involved a "calculated and careless attitude to the law" and were specifically intended to cause disruption at Citic Pacific's Sino iron ore site in the Pilbara.

McDonald, a CFMEU assistant secretary, entered the Pilbara site in February last year. He addressed an unauthorised meeting of 87 employees and 77 workers later withdrew their labour.

When McDonald was asked to leave the site because he did not have a right of entry or permission to be there, he responded: "I haven't had one for seven years and that hasn't f…ing stopped me."

McDonald received an individual fine of $17,600, with the remainder of the $193,600 to be paid by the WA and national branches of the CFMEU.

Fair Work Building and Construction director Nigel Hadgkiss said McDonald was a repeat offender.

"Since 2005, Mr McDonald and the CFMEU have been collectively penalised more than $1 million for action Mr McDonald has been involved in," Mr Hadgkiss said.