This week The Age reported union accusations of unlawful behaviour against international construction giant Webuild and its subcontractor Future Form involving work at the new Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek. Webuild also has the contract for Victoria’s North East Link.

Webuild is accused of having known that “illegal employees were working” at the new airport and having forced out an industrial relations manager who raised concerns about a lack of action against Future Form’s suspected unlawful behaviour.

Victoria’s North East Link in March.Credit: Joe Armao

This masthead and 60 Minutes also exposed Future Form, a formwork company that sponsors the Canterbury Bulldogs NRL team, as being suspected of involvement in standover activity and underpayment of workers. The company denies this, and an interim report by the union’s investigator has not been able to interview key personnel.

Today, it is also revealed that a labour-hire company paid bribes to get work on North East Link – a $26 billion project built using federal and state funds.

These latest allegations are, if true, part of a long line of instances suggesting the construction industry is partly built on corruption, extortion, intimidation and bribery. The situation is........

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