Are Australia’s unions holding us hostage?

Trade unions have brought us the five-day work week, annual leave, and protection against unfair dismissals. 

But as industrial action disrupts our cities and questions arise about union priorities, it’s time to ask: Are their demands going too far?  

Is Australia being held hostage by unions?

In New South Wales, train commuters faced chaos last week as unions pushed for a 32 per cent pay rise over four years. 

At the same time, 200 public health psychiatrists resigned over pay disputes.

On Tuesday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we spoke to pro-unionist Wilhelmina Stracke to unpack it all. 

With train drivers earning an average of $128,000 a year and psychiatrists starting at $186,000, many wonder if these strikes are justified.  

Stracke from the Victorian Trades Hall Council argues unions are fighting for fairness.

“I understand that people can get frustrated, but those workers are incredibly frustrated as well. That’s why they’ve gone to that very last step. And they honestly believe it’s the only way that they’re able to get the outcome that they think is fair,” Stracke said.

“Strike action is generally a last resort,” Stracke added. 

“In order to get to strike action, you have to have been trying to negotiate things like agreements and wages and conditions for a very long time.”

But not everyone agrees. Allegations of organised crime links within unions like the CFMEU have added to public distrust, with some questioning if unions now prioritise their own members over the broader community.  

In September last year, tens of thousands of CFMEU members in Sydney and Melbourne rallied after the Federal Government placed the union’s construction division into administration.

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