CFMEU protest outside Perth court

Construction workers are protesting outside the Federal Court in Perth as dozens of their colleagues face big fines for downing tools to attend a rally.

Fair Work Building and Construction issued summonses to 76 CFMEU members after they attended the rally outside the office of West Australian Premier Colin Barnett in February last year, calling for more local jobs in major resources projects.

State secretary Mick Buchan said the rally also called for more training and apprenticeship opportunities.

They had stopped working at the $1.2 billion Perth Children's Hospital project to attend the event, and the rally was considered unprotected industrial action.

The 76 union members each face fines of $10,200.

The CFMEU says the court action is "a political witch hunt by the Abbott government", with the summonses issued almost a year after the rally was held.

"Many of them had been to previous rallies over many years without being charged," the union said.

The matter will be mediated in the Federal Court from 10am on Friday.