TWU boss John Berger nominates for Labor preselection

The head of one of Victoria’s most powerful unions has revealed he’s making a tilt at state politics as the Labor preselection deadline looms.

The head of Victoria’s Transport Workers Union is making a tilt at state politics, with state secretary John Berger set to run for the Labor at the 2022 election.

It comes as speculation mounts on who will move to replace sitting MPs and vacant spots within the party, with preselections closing at 10am Friday.

Mr Berger, a former baggage handler, has nominated for the upper house in Southern Metro and is expected to take the safe seat to be vacated by Enver Erdogan.

Mr Erdogan will challenge upper house president Nazih Elasmar for his Northern Metro position.

Jana Stewart, a senior figure in the Department of Justice, will also run for Pascoe Vale backed by the TWU.

All three bids are expected to be endorsed by Labor’s national executive, which currently controls state preselections because of an intervention triggered by allegations of industrial-scale branch stacking and an anti-corruption investigation.

A group of right-aligned faction have sought to revive the Labor Unity grouping and share power with Premier Daniel Andrews’ Socialist Left.

The TWU is part of this arrangement, along with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association and a group members aligned with Stephen Conroy and Richard Marles.

John Berger at a rally in Melbourne's CBD.

Mr Berger said he had first joined the union in 1996 after working as a baggage handler at Ansett Australia.

“I have had the privilege of representing TWU members and advocating for the rights of transport workers across aviation, gas, logistics, oil, passenger vehicles, road transport and waste,” he said.

“Since 2016, it has been the greatest honour of my life to have led the TWU Victoria and Tasmania.

“Recently, I have been approached by many people in the labour movement to ask me to nominate for ALP preselection.

“To that end, with the support of my family, friends and colleagues, I have made the decision to stand for ALP Preselection for the Southern Metropolitan Region.

“The ALP is the only political party that enables a Baggage Handler to take the voice of transport workers into the Victorian parliament.”

Mr Berger said if he is preselected on Monday, he would resign as branch secretary and listed safety campaigns for bus drivers and truckies as achievements in his current role along with “tireless work to counteract sham contracting, and the Uber-style infiltration of the transport sector”.

He is the only union state secretary to have nominated for Labor at the 2022 election so far.

The seat of Pascoe Vale is currently held by sitting MP Lizzie Blandthorn but she will move to a top spot in the Western Metro upper house division that is very safe.

If elected, her replacement Ms Stewart would be the first Indigenous woman on Victorian Labor’s right wing to be elevated to parliament.

Nominations for state preselection will close on Friday morning, with final decisions on candidates to be endorsed on Monday.

Among the seats yet to be announced are Marlene Kairouz’s Kororoit.