The CFMEU has accused Bunnings of “corporate bullying” by threatening community activists and workers defending local timber jobs with legal action. In a legal letter, Bunnings has “reserved all rights” regarding a peaceful, community led protest outside their Traralgon Store in July, warning that similar protests in the future “…will not tolerated by Bunnings”. Source: Timberbiz
Bunnings has also demanded the CFMEU stop reproducing its logo, and that if it fails it “will consider commencing legal proceedings against the CFMEU in the Federal Court seeking permanent injunctions, delivery up, damages and its costs”.
Bunnings in July announced it would stop selling timber logged by VicForests after a court found the state government-owned forestry agency breached conservation laws.
“Bunnings has a zero-tolerance approach to illegally logged timber that dates back two decades, and our commitment is to only source timber products from legal and well managed forest operations,” Bunnings’ director of merchandise, Phil Bishop, said at the time.
Mr Bishop said that in light of the recent federal court finding that VicForests breached the code of practice in its regional forestry agreement for the central highlands, Bunnings could no longer stock products that used its timber.
VicForests has since lodged an appeal against the finding.
A resident of the timber town of Heyfield and community activist, whose sons and partner work in the timber industry and who participated in the protest is disgusted.
“We are a hardworking family and community and the fact that Bunnings, one of the biggest and richest companies in Australia is threatening to sue is a disgrace,” Ms Felicia Stevenson said.
“Bunnings and their parent company Wesfarmers should have a good hard look at themselves, we won’t be silenced in our struggle for our jobs and our community”
According to the CFMEU Bunnings’ threats have “all the characteristics of a favourite tactic of corporate bullies, the infamous SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) tactic intended to censor, intimidate and muzzle critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defence until they abandon their campaigns’’.
The union says Bunnings’ tactics are designed stop timber workers, forest contractors, their families, and communities highlighting the appalling and ill-informed decision of the company to cease sourcing and selling products made with local timber harvested from State forests.
“It’s a scandal that when everyone should be fighting for every job due to the COVID-19 crisis that Bunnings are threatening those who are trying to defend jobs,” CMFEU National Secretary Mr Michael O’Connor said.
The timber workers union and the forest contractors’ associations have vowed to continue to support timber workers, forest contractors and timber communities despite Bunnings’ disgraceful tactics.
“The feedback we are receiving from forest contractors, timber workers, their families and communities is clear: Keep getting the message out there to boycott Bunnings until they end their boycott of local timber jobs,” the Australian Forest Contractors Association’s Stacey Gardiner said.
