THE FACELESS MAN ALSO SPINELESS
19-July-2011
The National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), Paul Howes, has finally endorsed Labor’s carbon tax.
Mr Howes previously vowed to oppose the carbon tax if it cost a single worker’s job.
Julia Gillard has refused to give any guarantee that jobs will not be lost as a result of the carbon tax either in Parliament or in interviews with the press.
Having failed to deliver on his promise of securing a guarantee from the Labor Government that no jobs would be lost under a carbon tax, Mr Howes has given up the pretense of representing workers and is now just another labotomised zombie.
The AWU serves over 135,000 members in some of Australia’s most trade exposed industries including manufacturing, steel, aluminum, construction and oil and gas.
In the face of global economic uncertainty we shouldn’t be taking risks with Australian manufacturing jobs. Businesses all around Australia are concerned that the carbon tax will result in our jobs and carbon emissions being shipped off shore.
Stephen Cartwright, the Chief Executive of the NSW Business Chamber summarised the bizarre juxtaposition when he said “It seems a strange world where business groups are arguing for the livelihoods of manufacturing workers, and manufacturing unions are arguing for the case of the accounting firms, legal firms and banking houses who want a new revenue stream”.
To make matters worse, Mr Howes made the stunning revelation that he will name and shame any business that tries to lay off an AWU member under the carbon tax.
It’s time for Mr Howes to stop playing politics, add some steel to his spine, and stand up for the workers he is supposed to be representing.