CFMEU organiser urinated on worksite floor, inquiry hears

A commission of inquiry into the Queensland branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has heard allegations of misconduct by union officials. Timothy Ellis from JF Hull Holdings, a contractor on the multi-billion-dollar Coomera Connector project, testified that a former CFMEU organiser, Luke Gibson, urinated on a worksite floor in 2024. Ellis stated Gibson did this to protest alleged breaches of plumbing standards, claiming the plug did not meet the code. The incident reportedly occurred in front of site managers and an Electrical Trades Union organiser.

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That plug is meant to be connected to the sewage tank underneath the building. He made a point of it by urinating on the floor.

Ellis described Gibson's conduct as aggressive and unprofessional, detailing instances where union officials allegedly accessed worksites without authorization and refused to leave, causing disruptions. Gibson reportedly warned that the Coomera Connector project would face prolonged industrial turmoil, similar to the Cross River Rail project. Ellis interpreted these warnings as a direct threat of ongoing disruptions, making the project a target.

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Mr Gibson stated the plug "didn't meet the plumbing code".

Further allegations suggest a breakdown in police intervention in union disputes. Ellis testified that police were called to a 2017 incident at another worksite but declined to intervene, with one officer reportedly stating it was a union matter. The inquiry has previously heard about a memorandum of understanding allegedly signed between the CFMEU and a Queensland police association, which may have restricted officers' involvement in industrial disputes, even in cases of violence.

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I asked him to leave a couple of times … he just ignored me and made comments like, 'I own this office'.