Friday 10 January 2025
Dutton’s illegal Bruce Highway union ban, the actions of a tin pot dictator: ETU
Feeble Crisafulli’s support shows he will bow to Dutton every day of the week
Yet another headline about Dutton’s extreme hatred of workers and their unions shows the depth this country has sunk to, paraphrased as “Dutton vows to fix the Bruce Highway but de unionise its workforce.”
The news that a Dutton LNP government’s pledge to match the $7.2 billion ALP funding announced to fix the Bruce Highway - that was so badly neglected during the 10 years of LNP government – would come with a caveat, funding would be dependent on banning the CFMEU from any works. Should send shivers down the spine of every worker according to the Electrical Trades Union (ETU).
The ETU Queensland NT state secretary Peter Ong said, “Every worker in this country should be looking over their shoulder, you think you have it bad now with cost-of-living issues, just wait for Dutton and his mob who want to take workers back to the dark ages of the master slave relationship.”
The ETU said it is not only illegal to ban working people who choose to be a member of the CFMEU or any other union for that matter from working on the Bruce Highway or any other job, but it also sets a clear indication of where the LNP coalition will go on industrial relations.
“This is not about the CFMEU, this is about Dutton the tin pot dictator setting a blueprint by which he and his rich mates can grind working people into the dirt. We should all ask ourselves when did it become OK for the rich and powerful to punch down on working families, CFMEU members today, who’s next?”
“Nurses who stand up for better pay, teachers who stand up and fight for decent pay increases and safety on the job, electricity workers who work tirelessly to keep your power on stand up and fight for decent pay and conditions, in fact any worker who dares stand up for their fellow workers and fight for their share of the pie is in the sights of Dutton.”
“It is no coincidence that Dutton and co are meeting with Gina Rinehart and others, they want working people to be numbers rather than human beings with aspirations and a life outside of work. Let us not forget Rinehart wanted Australian workers to be more like “African workers”, she said back in 2012 ‘Furthermore, Africans want to work, and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day. Such statistics make me worry for this country's future’ full quote here and Dutton’s cosiness to the multi billionaire highlighted here. They are the ones drafting the LNP’s IR policy.”
“We are at a crossroads in this country, do we allow the mega rich, Dutton, Rinehart and co to tell us we are not worthy of feeding our families and actually living a fulfilling life where we have an ability to have a future, or do we as working people stand up and say enough is enough?” Mr Ong said.
“The Queensland LNP’s support for Dutton’s ban is disappointing but not unexpected, they will bow to the whim of Dutton and his mates every day of the week, selling Queensland workers short is in their DNA.”
For more information, please call Peter Ong on 0419 721 046 or Andrew Irvine 0429 535 860