1989 Cabinet documents
Just noticed this "Age" article about the recently released 1989 Cabinet documents:
"The Hawke government paid for strike-breakers from the public purse to break the 1989 Australian pilots' strike.
The highly controversial move for a Labor government was revealed in key cabinet records for 1988 and 1989 released by the National Archives of Australia on Thursday.
The Hawke cabinet had not only encouraged airline companies to employ overseas "strike breakers" but went even further, opting to pay "scab" pilots from the public purse.
"The cabinet agreed that the net wage cost incurred by the airlines as a result of their not using their right to seek stand-down of employees who would normally be stood down, who stand ready to continue to carry out their duties as directed, but who cannot be gainfully employed, would be met by the government," a cabinet minute on September 12 said.
A few days earlier, Prime minister Bob Hawke declared a national emergency and allowed RAAF planes and pilots and overseas aircraft and pilots to provide services"
May be of interest to some......