Australian workers at a global construction firm have voted to continue working despite a threat that a sniper would shoot a crane operator unless 50 million Australian dollars (€29.7 million) was paid by their employer.
The extortion threat is the second in two months against Multiplex, which has operations around Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and in Britain, where it is rebuilding England's famed Wembley football stadium.
"There were two meetings (of workers) this morning and both were unanimous . . . they were not going to be intimidated," said Peter McClelland, New South Wales state president of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.
"For them to acquiesce to the demands of the extortionist, that is to walk off the job to create massive damage to Multiplex, would not be in their interest and would leave them no alternative but to abandon the industry," he said. "It would only encourage others to do likewise."
The Australian firm received the first letter in February, in which an extortionist threatened to shoot a crane operator somewhere in the world unless it handed over A$50 million.
The second threat was made public yesterday by Sydney trade union officials, who called workers' meetings at Multiplex construction sites in Australia today.
Multiplex said the latest threat first surfaced in March.