ACTU ad reminds us of the value of unions

An advertisement from the Australian Council of Trade Unions to be released this evening serves as a pointed and timely reminder of the merits of the oft maligned union movement. Many Australian’s will remember the ACTU’s powerful advertising campaign against the Howard government’s WorkChoices in 2007. The Coalition has relentlessly attacked the union movement in relation to a number of scandals whilst Labor has been in power. Indeed, like any other organization, there have been some bad apples within the movement. But with the Coalition looking set to return to power, it is worth remembering the prominent role the union movement has played in shaping society as we know it, by virtue of initiatives such as the 40 hour week. Without the union movement, the disparity between the haves and the have nots would be far wider in Australian society. It is a crucial counter balance to the power and influence that money buys for corporate Australia. So, next time a Liberal MP attacks the unions, pause to wonder what life for the vast majority of us who work for someone else for a living would be like without them.