Howard’s union man soars
The forestry union’s National Assistant Secretary Michael O’Connor,(see article here) has been promoted to National Secretary. This happened in October 2005 just when the Industrial Relations laws started being thrashed out.
Who’s Michael O’Connor? You might remember the loggers giving Howard a rousing applause down in Tasmania just days before the ’04 federal election. Well it was the very same O’Connor up on stage, who told all the workers to vote for Howard ahead of the ALP.
Now workers right across the nation are set to lose their rights and safeguards. This has caused vicious resentment within the union movement and many would like to see O’Connor knee-capped. Yet he’s been rewarded with a promotion! Good to see whose side you’e on, CFMEU bosses!
So, if Howard wins the IR battle, remember which union it was that laboured hard to get the Libs back in power.