Farmers reject union threats

The state's peak agricultural body says union intimidation of farmers is un-Australian and must stop.

NSW Farmers Industrial Relations Committee chair Chris Stillard said it was disgraceful that the Australian Workers Union was threatening farmers while ordinary Australians worried about the cost of groceries.

"The union is suggesting that anyone who raises concerns about the union movement must be a shonky operator," Mr Stillard said.

"This just shows how out of touch they are; ordinary Australians are concerned about the cost of their supermarket trolley but the union is going after the people who grow our food.

"Farmers want to get on with producing food, and tactics to undermine them are disappointing when so many families are struggling with the cost of living."

Mr Stillard said this sort of political posturing in the middle of a federal election campaign would only make matters worse, not better.

"With the current worker shortage, it defies logic for farmers to underpay their workers," Mr Stillard said.

“Those workers could simply find better paying work elsewhere, and we’re seeing strong competition among farmers to secure good workers.

“The unions need to realise that their approach would simply lead to the end of Australian farms and leave us importing all of our food.” 



Date: Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Media Contact: Steve Mudd  | 0429 011 690 | [email protected]