Workers face hefty fines over strike

Construction workers who walked off the job on a troubled $1.5 billion Perth railway project are facing fines of up to $28,000 each in landmark legal action.

The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) has issued writs in the Federal Court against 107 of about 400 construction workers who went on strike in February for a 12-day period, which included rostered days off and a public holiday.

The Perth to Mandurah railway project workers walked off the job in protest against the sacking of a shop steward.

The ABCC alleges they went on strike in contravention of an Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) order not to do so.

It is the first time individual workers, rather than a union, have been pursued for contravening an AIRC order not to strike, under the federal government's tough building industry laws.

The laws were introduced last year in response to the building industry royal commission.

The workers each face fines of up to $28,000 and are being pursued individually because their union advised them publicly not to strike.

ABCC Commissioner John Lloyd said the strike had cost construction company Leighton $200,000 a day.

"We felt that there was a case here which we were entitled to take proceedings against," Mr Lloyd told ABC Radio on Thursday.

The workers defied their own union - the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) - which advised against striking.

CFMEU WA secretary Kevin Reynolds admitted no-one believed the workers would be fined for going on strike.

"We have been proved wrong because that is exactly what they are trying to do," Mr Reynolds said.

Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says unions should be fined for contravening the AIRC order, not individual workers.

"When (workers) act collectively, frankly they should be dealt with collectively," Mr Beazley said in Perth on Thursday.

A Labor government would scrap the ABCC because it was biased in favour of employers, he said.

"This is the sort of thing that goes on in John Howard's industrial relations dog-eat-dog world," Mr Beazley said.

"The industrial world that we create will be seen as fair and balanced by all sides."

Mr Reynolds said the union would provide legal advice to the 107 workers, but refused to say if it would pay any fines imposed.

"We look after our own and we are proud of that and our membership out there, our 10,000 members, will all kick in to help these workers," he said.

WA acting Premier Eric Ripper said the state government did not support the strike and advised workers they faced harsh penalties, but it condemned the ABCC action.

Workers face hefty fines over strike