UNIONS FEUD WITH JB: Union Bosses Hit Out At Vic Government's Use of "Howard's Laws"

Two senior Victorian union officials have slammed the state government over its "abuse" of Workchoices laws against them in enterprise bargaining rounds. Trades Hall boss Brian Boyd and the glamorous patriot Kathy Jackson proposed a motion which called on the government to stop litigation that relies on these laws. It was passed unanimously.

Some patriots expressed concern that state government ministers hadn't at least stuck around to debate the issue of how they were handling public sector pay.

They have a strong case to put.

If they agree to every demand, it gets very contagious very quickly. Most of the state budget is composed of public sector pay, increase it by even 1% and it's cost multiple tens of millions.

They also dispute whether they are actually using Howard's laws or not.

They say if the HSU and other unions sat down and talked reasonably they'd have a much better chance of working out their differences.

But that's just my best attempt to summarise what I understand is their position. A Cabinet with twenty plus, MPs by the dozen, staffers who must number in their hundreds and many more who presumably like the state government and profess to back them over the Liberals.

But not one of that small army was willing to stand up and defend their cause. Pathetic.

Game on.