12
Nov
2014
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Unionism in Victoria

In today’s Herald Sun former Premier Jeff Kennett points out in his article on the upcoming election that all but two of Labor’s candidates are ex-union members. And, as I indicate in a letter published in today’s AFR (see below), Victoria is the centre of union activity which the Royal Commission has identified as involving resort to criminal conduct and widespread violence.

Coincidentally, the front page lead in today’s Australian (see below) highlights the  bullying behaviour at the docks. When in office, Labor made bullying an offence. Whether the reported promises of reform by the two sides will have any  meaningful result, must be doubted: the unjustified power in the hands of unions must come from a basic change in federal legislation. But some improvement could be achieved in Victoria by establishing a special police unit to deal with workplace violence. The Napthine government has been slow to move against excessive union activity and to make more of that problem in the election debate

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