Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I can inform Senator Bernardi that the letter from Slater & Gordon Lawyers, the union's lawyers, makes no mention of any of this $30,000 going to workers. Instead, it states that the money will go to the union for the union's activities. The purported settlement money does not go to needy outworkers, nor to compensation for anyone who may be disadvantaged by award breaches; the money will go towards subsidising the union and its activities. If all of these employers agreed to the demands, this would provide a very cool $600,000 to $700,000 in additional revenue for the union—at a time when it is running a loss. This appears to be a union simply shaking down employers to boost its cash flow and to provide an additional income stream.