Quotes attributable to Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Sally McManus:

“The ACTU is disappointed in the result of today’s Supreme Court of Victoria appeal for the CFMEU’s John Setka and Shaun Reardon and note it will now likely be appealed to the High Court.

The ACTU rejects the criminalisation of industrial disputes and the charging of these two men is out of step with industrial law in democratic countries.

Right now, we are seeing widespread abuse of our industrial laws by employers who are stealing money from the pockets of working families or seriously exploiting temporary visa workers. Disregarding our laws that protect working people has become a business model for too many employers.

On one hand we see the leaders of working people being pursued and dragged through the court for standing up for working people, on the other we see the Turnbull Government ignoring daily abuse of working people by some employers.

It seems our laws are stacked in favour of the big end of town and the result is that inequality is at a 70 year high.”

ENDS