The CFMEU is facing a possible Federal Court injunction after it was accused of deliberately disrupting work on a key Gold Coast Commonwealth Games project with twice-daily union meetings.

Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC) says court intervention is necessary to bring an end to the “ongoing and costly dispute” that has affected progress at the $126 million Carrara Sports and Recreation Project over three weeks.

The union has held two-hour long meetings since May 9 and many workers are covered by enterprise agreements that permit such action.

“FWBC alleges that these provisions are being misused and that the purpose of those meetings, which come amidst stalled enterprise bargaining negotiations, is to disrupt work on the project in an effort to coerce the head contractor into signing a new enterprise agreement on the CFMEU’s terms,” the regulator said in a statement.

On Friday it will seek penalties against the CFMEU and two of its officials, Shaun Desmond and Andrew Watson, for “engaging in coercive behaviour” by organising the meetings.

Urgent injunctions will also be sought to stop the union from organising meetings more than once a month, encouraging stoppages and threatening further action, FWBC Director Nigel Hadgkiss said.