Underworld figure gifted gold bracelet to union official after construction site assault

Paul Tzimas, a former official with the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, has provided testimony to the royal commission investigating the integrity of major infrastructure projects in Victoria. Speaking on Wednesday, Tzimas described a serious assault that occurred at a construction site, an event that led to a subsequent meeting with underworld figure Mick Gatto.

Tzimas stated that he suffered a fractured ankle during the incident, while a colleague sustained a broken eye socket, dental damage, severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and partial loss of vision. Although the commission was not given specific details regarding the exact location or time of the attack, Tzimas acknowledged that the individuals involved appeared to be linked to an outlaw bikie gang.

The union official, who left the CFMEU in January and is currently unemployed, explained that a meeting was convened approximately one week after the assault. This gathering brought together union representatives and the builders involved in the project. The builders arranged for Gatto to attend the session, a figure Tzimas noted was known to work with developers to resolve issues on their construction sites.

Following the meeting, Gatto presented Tzimas with a gold bracelet. Tzimas initially declined the gift, agreeing with counsel assisting Chris Carr that he viewed it as potentially inappropriate for someone in his position to receive a token from a figure on the opposing side of the negotiation.

However, after discussing the gesture with Gatto, Tzimas decided to accept the bracelet. He recounted that Gatto explained the gift was an olive branch, intended to show that he was not trying to earn favor. Gatto admitted to having previously held a poor opinion of Tzimas as an official and suggested he may have judged him too harshly. Tzimas noted that he never wore the bracelet.

Tzimas also informed the commission that other union officials had received similar gold bracelets from Gatto. When questioned about the value of the item, he agreed that it was not a worthless trinket, indicating a degree of significance to the gesture.

During his testimony, Tzimas was also asked about a letter written by the CFMEU on behalf of a man convicted of manslaughter who was seeking parole. The letter confirmed that the man would be offered employment. Tzimas expressed uncertainty about why the union assisted the individual, suggesting that the man's father, who was a union delegate at the time, may have influenced the decision.

Counsel assisting further probed Tzimas's knowledge of connections between union members and bikie gangs. After reading the names of 15 men, Tzimas agreed that 11 of them were union members affiliated with such gangs.

The current phase of the commission's hearings is focusing on the level crossing removal project at Gap Road in Sunbury, north of Melbourne. Tzimas attended the work site as part of union action that eventually halted construction. He was also present at a meeting held on 7 June 2022 between project managers and union officials at CFMEU headquarters.

That 2022 meeting resulted in the resumption of work on the site. The commission has previously heard that the union demanded the installation of its own health and safety representative, along with union-affiliated traffic management and labor hire companies, as a condition for work to continue. The hearing before commissioner Christopher Kourakis is ongoing.