Construction union boss Brian Parker has told a royal commission there is nothing unusual about underworld figure George Alex calling him by his nickname, "Sparkles", and ending calls with the phrase "love ya".
"He would say that to a variety of people," Mr Parker told the trade unions royal commission after a tapped 2011 phone call, in which Mr Alex used the terms, was played in court.
"I've heard George use those terms on a number of occasions.
"He's not your everyday person, as you can see, by the way he talks."
Mr Parker, appearing before the commission on Thursday, was asked why the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union gave enterprise bargaining agreements - effective endorsements - to some labour hire and scaffolding firms that had a history of "phoenixing".
Phoenix companies - which collapse owing worker entitlements then re-register under a new name - are a subject of inquiries at the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.
Mr Parker was asked about a labour hire company, Capital, that was linked to Mr Alex and an EBA it secured from the union in 2014.
The commission has heard previously that Mr Alex was an undischarged bankrupt and had been linked to a number of labour hire and other companies that were "consistent" with phoenix companies.
Mr Parker told senior counsel assisting the commission, Sarah McNaughton SC, the union would give EBAs to phoenix companies to protect the wages and conditions of the employees.
Although the previous company had collapsed, Mr Parker said, the new company needed the same EBA to ensure that the builder had to pay labourers the same entitlements.
Asked why some companies were given EBAs while others were not, Mr Parker said many companies had a history of failing to pay workers properly.
"There are companies there bigger and a lot worse than probably even some of Mr Alex's companies, out there in the industry," he said.
Ms McNaughton said the EBA deals did not make sense because a new company would be no more likely to pay workers their entitlements than the old, failed one.
Mr Parker said builders had to pay more attention to the subcontractors they hired and the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, also had to be more attentive.
Mr Alex is expected before the commission next week.
The hearing continues.
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