Napthine Government backs down on union building ban by easing industry coude CFMEU state secretary John Setka says the new building guidelines are redundant. BUILDERS will be able to hire staff on union friendly agreements after the State Government watered down its industry code. Finance Minister Robert Clark revealed today that companies would be required to stick to enterprise bargaining agreements struck under the Fair Work Act even if they contradict the new code. It comes as the State Government prepares to appeal against a Federal Court decision last week that found its new state guidelines were in breach of federal law. Mr Clark said he would continue to fight through the courts for more productive workplaces in the building industry. "The Coalition Government considers that last week's Federal Court decisions were in error in a number of key respects," he said. However, unless and until the decisions are overturned on appeal, the Coalition Government will, of course, comply with the Court's rulings. Under the changes announced today, any enterprise bargaining agreements would supersede the Government's building industry guidelines. The new guidelines were introduced to crack down on alleged union thuggery and intimidation in the building industry that the State Government said was adding to the cost of construction in Victoria. But Justice Mordy Bromberg found last week that the Government did not act lawfully when it tried to ban Lend Lease from bidding for work on the new $630 million Bendigo Hospital project. The company has in place a deal with the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union that breached the new building code. Lend Lease won the job last month after the State Government allowed it to bid for the work. Natalie Hutchins, state opposition industrial relations spokeswoman, said the Government was waging an ideological war against unions. "This is a back down from the Napthine Government who has insisted on playing politics with the jobs of Victorians," she said. How many taxpayers funds have been wasted trying to enforce a code that has now been found by the Federal Court to be illegal? CFMEU state secretary John Setka said the new building guidelines were redundant. "If the Victorian Government wants to play a positive role in the construction industry, they should stop attacking unions and work with us on improving safety for the workers in the industry and the community at large," he said.