Doomsday for the Queensland labour movement? The SEQEB dispute and union strategy

Abstract

On February 11th, 1985, Sir Joh Bjelke‐Petersen, then Premier of Queensland, sacked 940 linesmen employed by the South East Queensland Electricity Board (SEQEB). For the next ten days Queensland was the scene of a massive industrial conflict in which many industries were forced to shut down, there was a large‐scale stand‐down of workers, and the State's economy suffered the loss of an estimated $1 billion. The SEQEB dispute represented a major turning‐point in the Premier's anti‐union crusade which climaxed in a successful confrontation with the union movement. The Premier continued his crusade — introducing a variety of legislative measures which severely curtailed union activities. (1) For the Queensland labour movement the SEQEB dispute represented an historic defeat. The Queensland Trades and Labor Council (QTLC) concluded that ‘the actions of the Government have had a similar effect on the trade union movement as the defeat of 1891’ (QTLC 1985:1).

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