Jeff Kennett brands tradies as ‘new capitalists of the world’

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett says the ACTU’s campaign is undermined by six-figure pay packets of unionists.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett. Picture: Getty Images

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has accused protesting unionists of being the “new capitalists of society”, claiming the union movement’s “change the rules” campaign is undermined by the six-figure pay packets of blue-collar workers.

Mr Kennett, whose radical workplace agenda provoked mass protests in 1992, claimed Wednesday’s rally by up to 100,000 workers in Melbourne lacked passion and there was not widespread support in the community for changes to workplace laws.

“Their case, I think, is somewhat defeated by the level of salary that most of the tradespeople these days get. Good tradespeople all earn over $100,000 a year. Some much more,’’ he said.

“They’re the new capitalists. It’s those poor people in white collar offices that should be striking and demanding more but the unionists, they’re the new capitalists of our society.’’

Mr Kennett said the protest, which disrupted the Port of Melbourne and sections of the city, was a “third-rate turnout” and lacked the passion of the protests against his former government.

ACTU assistant secretary Scott Connolly said Mr Kennett was entitled to his opinion but was wrong. “People from all sectors were represented at the rally — from accountants and university workers, to nurses, teachers, community workers and tradies. They are all suffering under the current rules that spread insecure work and deny fair pay rises,’’ he said.

“As Victorian premier, Kennett sacked 50,000 working ­people, slashed the working rights of all Victorians, closed 350 schools and privatised anything that he could. His read of the community mood is neither relevant nor accurate.”

Australian Mines and Metals Association chief executive Steve Knott said the wharfies who went on strike on Wednesday to attend the rally would benefit from the federal government’s budget tax package. “Waterfront workers who ­illegally shut down Australia’s busiest port on average earn over $100,000 and work 35 hour weeks for 40 weeks a year,” he said. “They would be big beneficiaries of the Coalition’s planned tax cuts. Under the pretence of claiming to be representative of low-­income earners these wharfies, intentionally or otherwise, have inflicted damage on small business operators more than half of which take home $50,000 or less.

“The hypocrisy in such union campaigns is writ large and squarely aimed at rallying compliant foot soldiers for political outcomes, often at the expense of lower income earners whose interests they claim to represent.”

Construction union official Dave Noonan said building workers employed on major central business district projects earned more than $100,000 a year by working substantial overtime. But he said they did not have secure employment. He said enormous profits were made in the construction industry and the union was proud that workers could share in them.

But he said their wages did not compare with the millions of dollars made by “Kennett’s mates” involved in the management of real estate investment trusts.