Rotten union move would see teachers, nurses propping up Labor

Changes to Queensland industrial relations laws would see millions of dollars funnelled from teachers and nurses to fund the Labor Party, writes Des Houghton

Labor unions overcharged teachers and nurses by $48m a year in fees, parliament heard this week. And a “wicked” change to industrial relations laws would see many more millions of dollars funnelled from teachers and nurses to fund the Labor Party in a system that was “rotten”.

The charges came as Labor moved to block independent unions from representing members at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

“Make no mistake, most of the amendments in this bill are driven by pure politics, an ideological obsession and a hate for competition,” deputy Opposition leader Jarrod Bleijie told the House.

“Ultimately, this bill is a bill to further entrench the Labor-aligned union monopoly in Queensland and take away choices for teachers, nurses and other frontline workers.’’

The new laws would effectively compel 120,000 nurses and teachers in Queensland to fund ALP campaigns by funnelling large sums of money through the Queensland Council of Unions via secretive affiliation fees, he said.

Bleijie said Queensland now had “gerrymander donation laws”. Teachers and nurses would be “horrified” if they knew the amounts channelled to the ALP.

“This Labor government is lining its own pockets. Monopoly unions will continue to exist in Queensland.”

Deputy leader of the opposition in Qld Jarrod Bleijie at a press conference at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Katter’s Australia Party condemned the Labor union monopoly. Mick Dametto, KAP Member for Hinchinbrook, said the union movement ran a protection racket for Labor MPs in the Queensland parliament.

He said the new laws were an attack on workers’ rights and would “pull to pieces” the work done by Gough Whitlam to have the freedom of choice in unions. “Gough believed in workers’ rights to organise into a union without interference from government,” Dametto said.

“To enshrine these rights, he ratified industrial labour conventions into Australian law and now these rights are under attack.’’

The new laws place in doubt the role of the independent unions under the Red Union banner. There are nearly 20,000 members.

However, the founding director Graham Haycroft said the Red Unions would “fight on” and continue to recruit members while waiting for the LNP to repeal the laws when they win the next election. He said Labor was “simply trying to protect its cash flow”.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace criticised what she said was the lack of accountability and transparency by the Red Union group. The new laws would ensure “rogue entities” were held to account.

Two speakers in parliament were critical of Justice Peter Davis, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission president, who openly supported Labor’s changes.

James Lister, the Member of Southern Downs, reminded the House of Courier-Mail coverage of Davis’s role in the campaign for the ALP’s Peter Russo in the seat of Toohey. In his maiden speech, Russo thanked “Peter Davis and Belinda Davis, who were central to the organisation of my Jail House Rock function, held at Boggo Road jail, and to making sure that my volunteers on election day were fed and watered”.

Education and Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace. Picture: John Gass

As president of the Queensland Bar Association, Davis became embroiled in a series of bitter disputes with the then premier Campbell Newman and Bleijie. Davis was among a group of lawyers who campaigned against the Newman government. By September 2017 the new attorney-general Yvette D’Ath appointed Davis to the Supreme Court. She promoted Davis to the QIRC in 2020 where he now enjoys an annual salary of about $433,000.

Lister told parliament Labor had “rolled out the red carpet” for Davis.

“It seems to me that this whole system is rotten,” he said.

Bleijie told parliament he followed the Council of Unions money trail.

He tabled election propaganda sheets from the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union backing Labor at the election and attacking the LNP. And he produced Electoral Commission documents that show large sums were diverted to the Labor Party from fees paid by members of the QNMU and Queensland Teachers Union. “On 9 October 2020 the Nurses and Midwives’ Union gave the Queensland Council of Unions $110,000 just a few weeks before the state election,” Bleijie said.

The Honourable Justice Peter Davis. Photographer: Liam Kidston

“On 8 October 2020 the Queensland Teachers’ Union, the QTU, gave $115,000 to the Queensland Council of Unions – three weeks before the state election.’’ He told the House he quizzed a representative of the Queensland Council of Unions at a Parliamentary hearing who said: “We exist to campaign against the Liberal National Party in Queensland.”

He added: “The Queensland Council of Unions representative essentially made out that their priority in life is to campaign against the Liberal National Party.’’

Bleijie said ALP campaigns were funded “by teachers and nurses in Queensland who do not know where their money is going’’. And they were paying far too much.

“The QTU and the QNMU are essentially charging frontline workers about $400 more than costs to provide core (industrial) services,” he said. “If we look at that $400 saving of a nurse or teacher member and with 17,000 members paying an extra $400 per annum – that is being forced to be given to the Labor Party. The real money at stake is the 120,000 nurses and teachers who are threatening to join a cheaper union: 120,000 times $400 is $48 million per annum. That is the crux of this.’’

He said QNMU and QTU members deserted their unions “in droves” and joined the independent Nurses Professional Association of Queensland and the Teachers Professional Association of Queensland which gave money to political parties.

Lister hit out at the government for introducing “a wicked, scrofulous piece of legislation”.

Disclaimer: The writer has worked for the NPAQ as a consultant.