TWU court victory

TWU court victory

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE — The Queensland Industrial Court on May 14 ruled that the Employment Advocate did not have the right to inspect a union's membership register. Justice Glen Williams found that the actions of the EA in raiding the TWU office on April 29 demanding access to membership records was unlawful.

TWU branch secretary Hughie Williams hailed the decision as a "great victory" for trade unions. He said it was a "slap in the face for the Borbidge government", which was using the office of the EA as "spies and trespassers".

Graham Matthews, Democratic Socialist candidate for the state seat of Brisbane Central, welcomed the ruling but emphasised the need to campaign for the abolition of all penal powers restricting workers' right to organise. "The Queensland Workplace Relations Act should be repealed", he said, "along with the Employment Advocate".

From GLW issue 318