The Master Builders Association of Victoria, a powerful lobby group that represents the construction industry, agreed to pay off a junior female staff member who accused its chief executive of sexual harassment.
Radley de Silva, a former accountant who has worked in a senior role at the organisation for 16 years, was the subject of a complaint late last year.
Mr de Silva told colleagues he didn't harass the woman and the complaint was a result of personal animosity between him and her, a source said. After an investigation, the association agreed to make a payment to the woman, sources said. It wouldn't disclose how much it paid her or her name.
"The claim was investigated in line with our internal policies and the fair work guidelines," the association's head of human resources, Steven Hogan, said in an email. "The claim was denied, and the matter was resolved last year on a confidential basis and to the satisfaction of all parties."
Industry insiders questioned whether the MBA's members, which include big and small builders, had a right to know about the complaint and what resources from the organisation had been expended in dealing with it.
The size of the payout to the complainant and the nature of the allegations are known to some directors of the MBA board. It is also understood that MBA's insurers may have been involved in settling the matter.
The MBA has played a key role lobbying the federal government about misbehaviour in the building industry and the need for senior union figures to face far greater scrutiny and accountability.
Mr de Silva was a general manager at the Thomas Cook Group for 11 years until 2001, when he was appointed deputy executive director of the MBA Victorian division, according to his LinkedIn profile. After 12 years he was made chief executive officer of the organisation, which is 142 years old.
The association wouldn't make its president, Melanie Fasham, available for comment.
