On 18 March 2010 two ABCC inspectors attended the site of the Melbourne RMIT University Campus and were made aware that a stop work meeting had been called due to their presence on the site.
CFMEU organiser Derek Christopher advised the site manager that the CFMEU and the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) had introduced a new policy that they would “shed up” their members whenever the ABCC are on site.
After the ABCC left the site managers met with Mr Christopher and informed him the stop work action was considered unlawful industrial action and therefore workers would “have a minimum of 4 hours docked”.
Mr Christopher notified workers that Hooker Cockram would not be paying strike-pay and they packed up and left the site.
The ABCC alleges that the CFMEU and Mr Christopher engaged in unlawful industrial action.