These mobs are scum.
They strong arm contractors regularly and not through professional channels. I’ve seen “negotiations” take place in pubs, with real threats of violence attached.
When I was around 30 I remember the CFMEU growing in my area. They recruited a heap of tough guys and one day we were on site and they walked straight in screaming through a megaphone going from floor to floor bellowing at all workers to stop work and get their arses down to the courtyard for a “meeting”. I recognised a lot of them, hard buggers from footy, pubs and gyms. Once they assembled everyone the president then climbed an 8 foot ladder and stood there shouting the filthiest language you’ve ever heard about how the builder was a pack of C…s and we should all walk off site. The builder, mostly represented by young engineering grads stood there in shock as these blokes stood over them roaring, telling them to take a swing. Their crime? A water bubbler on the second level had been hit by a scissor lift and was broken.
I told my boys to return to work and was abused to hell and back.
The sooner we eradicate these filthy rats from construction the better.