The new ACTU secretary sings the praises of the union movement for not loading pig iron for shipment to Japan in 1938. Does she also sing the union praises for refusing to load supplies to our troops — especially in New Guinea — during World War II?
Alexander Haege, Tamarama, NSW
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Crunch, crunch, crunch. That’s sound of Australians marching to their financial doom. We are following the pathway to Greece as if it was a script. Want more wages without increasing productivity? No worries. Our new leader of the ACTU wants $45 extra a week? No worries.
Want government to pay your child care? Here it is. Pay someone $50 to serve you coffee on a Sunday? Sure thing. And don’t worry about being sacked.
On and on go the demands that our elected leaders give in to. The populace has been sucked in by the green left and the ABC — coal is evil and we must have renewable energy; bugger the cost. Now our industries are breaking their necks to set up overseas. Our debt is nearly $500 billion. We simply can’t pay it back. We are like the doomed passengers on the Titanic listening to the orchestra playing Nearer, My God, to Thee.
R. McAllister, Victoria Point, Qld
How is this for a future combination? Bill Shorten as Labor PM, and Sally McManus as ACTU secretary. If that doesn’t put fear into the hearts of those seeking industrial peace in Australia, then what would it take? Immediately after her ACTU appointment, McManus got into full pitch with her leftist rhetoric, preparing to lead street marchers, flags waving and fist shaking all the way to Canberra. Shorten, a union representative promoted beyond his capabilities, but still a devoted ally of the AWU and the CFEMU, is sure to help McManus in her radical endeavours, now demanding a $45 per week pay rise for workers.
Allen Arthur, Middleton, SA
The ambit claim by the ACTU boss shows just how far she is from reality. Neither the unions or Bill Shorten live in the real world, have never run a business and have no idea of the consequences of wage increases for the profitability of a business. It’s time we gave businesses an incentive to employ workers with a tax cut rather than saddle them with an extra cost that would drive them out of their businesses
Leo Vilensky, Castle Cove, NSW
ACTU secretary Sally McManus heralded the arrival of a new guard in the union movement and received a standing ovation at the National Press Club. Some people seem prepared to do whatever it takes to move Australia towards a socialist state. What isn’t explained is that such grandiose plans will do nothing for rank and file unionists. The priority will be strengthen the union movement and continue standover tactics.
John Bain, South Bunbury, WA