By NOEL MURPHY
GEELONG unions will run a monthly campaign against the federal coalition’s royal commission into union corruption and proposed state labor laws, Geelong Trades Hall boss Tim Gooden has warned.
Mr Gooden said the first action would be a rally against Napthine Government anti-protest plans, intended to shut down “legitimate community voices”.
The Government wanted laws allowing unions to be sued for millions of dollars, he said.
“These new laws will be absolutely devastating.”
Mr Gooden also blasted the Abbott Government’s royal commission.
“What they really want to do is reduce the ability of unions to organise labour, because unorganised labour is easier to exploit, and to drive down wages.
“This is all a smear campaign to curb the ability of unions to mobilise community campaigns.”
Mr Gooden said existing laws already cover corruption.
“If they were really interested in catching people they could give the cops more money and simply go get them,” he said.
Liberal “patron” Senator for Geelong Michael Ronaldson said the royal commission would overlook “day-to-day activities of honest trade union officials” to instead focus on “increasingly widespread claims of unlawful activity, corruption, kickbacks and collusion”.
Senator Ronaldson said the royal commission would be “able to go wherever the evidence leads it”.
He urged Labor to support the commission.
“Honest workers and honest unionists in Corio should not be ripped off by corrupt union officials, Senator Ronaldson said.
“Honest local businesses should be able to get on with their work without fear of intimidation, corruption and standover tactics.”
