Howes hits back at Labor 'scabs'

On Thursday 17 February 2011, 12:37 EST

Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes has hit back at criticism from Labor MPs about his outspoken attack on mining giant Rio Tinto.

The Australian newspaper has reported that Federal Trade Minister Craig Emerson called on Mr Howes to tone down his rhetoric after the union boss said "monkeys could do a better job of managing Rio Tinto" and branded the company's board members as "shiny arses".

Today Mr Howes told delegates at the AWU national conference on the Gold Coast that he was also unimpressed with reports of criticism from other unnamed Labor MPs.

He said the response did not compare well with stories the union's national president, Bill Ludwig, told him about a shearers strike in 1956.

"Bill was telling me during the 1956 shearers strike there were a few scabs around," he said.

"Picking up today's Australian, it seems there still are a few scabs around today."

Mr Howes has told conference delegates it is immature of Dr Emerson to attack him personally.

"The Trade Minister has compared himself to Bob Hawke," he said.

"Bob Hawke changed lives for working people in this country, Bob Hawke negotiated pay increases - I'm pretty certain Craig Emerson has never negotiated a pay increase for anyone in his life other than himself."

Yesterday, Rio Tinto refused to buy into the war of words with Mr Howes, saying only that it respected its workers' rights to hold union membership.

A spokesman said the organisation recognised every employee's right to "join a union or not join a union".

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I suppose it's fair enough to deal with this person under "Politicians Suck". After all he sees himself as a future Labor PM.
Nobody more typifies the unrepresentative swill to which this party has sunk than this charmer from the Norm Gallagher School of Public Deportment.
He lambasts Rio for underpaying its workers. Remember Rio workers in the Pilbara are on a fly-in fly-out shift, 7 days on & 7 days off.
A labourer gets $100K, drivers $120K, tradesmen $150K and supervisors $200K.
For those kind of peanuts they must be real monkeys . . .oh, sorry, that's who the ABC's favourite talkshow guest thinks should be running the company.

cods, fortunately he has probably but not absolutely stuffed his chances, just like that bloke from the ETU did . .can't remember his name. Oh yes, Dean Mighell wasn't it.
As the Labor ranks diminish with the bleed off to the greens, they will increasingly be left with the thuggish element.
It will be funny watching Labor compete with the greens in inner city areas where they will have to discuss things like trees and cuddly animals, whereas what they are used to discussing is power . . . how to get it & keep it and share it among their mates.