Unions To Fight Telstra Sell-off
Illawarra Mercury
Monday March 16, 1998
Communication unions would fight Prime Minister John Howard's plan announced yesterday to sell the remaining two-thirds of Telstra, the Communications, Electrical and Plumbers Union said.
Mr Howard told the Liberal Party's national convention in Brisbane a Coalition government would sell the remaining publicly owned stake in Telstra if re-elected.
"We have made a firm policy ... to allow that the people of Australia ... buy the remaining two-thirds," he said.
The CEPU's Telephone and Services branch state president Ian Maclean said unions would oppose the move. He said he would leave soon for a campaign through western and northern Queensland against the decision.
"People are concerned that an essential service is being sold off," Mr Maclean said. He added that privatised companies were profit orientated and services were cut back.
"The sale is good for stockbrokers in Sydney's North Shore and it's good for the board of Telstra who seem to be more interested in reading the headlines in the financial pages, but it is no good for the public, especially those living in outlying areas."
Mr Maclean said the Prime Minister was announcing the likely sale if re-elected as a "try-on", because he would have no mandate to do so.
"There are 14 million Australians who don't own shares in Telstra," he said.
© 1998 Illawarra Mercury
