Former AFL Union Boss Faces Charges of Coercion in Court
Controversial former union official John Setka is once again facing trouble, this time for allegedly interfering in a football oval worksite.
Former Construction, Forestry, and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) leader John Setka is facing additional charges related to workplace disruption. However, this time the target is a footy oval, known as a sports ground where AFL matches take place in Australia.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has initiated Federal Court proceedings against Setka and the CFMEU, accusing him of attempting to pressure the AFL into dismissing its chief umpire, Stephen McBurney.
The motivation behind the action was not the on-field decisions of football umpires. Rather, McBurney, the former head of the now-defunct industrial watchdog, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, had previously taken legal action against the CFMEU.
Setka allegedly made public statements in 2024, threatening to disrupt or delay AFL building projects through the CFMEU if McBurney was not fired. He also stated that the CFMEU would not cooperate with overtime and weekend shifts on AFL jobs after the league confirmed McBurney’s position.
The Ombudsman alleges that Setka and the union violated sections of the Fair Work Act.
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“We are alleging that Mr. Setka, and through him the CFMEU, have engaged in deliberate unlawful conduct against a former senior public official,” stated Ombudsman Anna Booth.
“No one is above the law. It is crucial that we send a clear message to all parties involved in Australia’s workplace relations system that threatening and coercive behavior will not be accepted.”
In September 2024, Federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus placed the union under administration, and Setka resigned shortly before. Setka had been the secretary of the Victorian-Tasmanian division of the union for 12 years.
Setka was expelled from the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 2019 due to concerns about his conduct on worksites and his guilty plea to harassing his ex-wife via text messages.
This incident isn’t the first time Setka has been accused of targeting ABCC officials through Australian Rules football. In 2017, he threatened to reveal the home addresses of the building watchdog’s inspectors and influence local footy clubs so that “kids will be ashamed of who their parents are.”
The Victorian government referred Setka to the police in September 2024 after he violated a ban and visited two publicly funded projects in Melbourne.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is seeking penalties of up to $18,780 against Setka and $93,900 against the CFMEU for the latest incident. A hearing date is yet to be determined.
AAP contributed to this story.
