Dick _ I am pretty sure it is not industrial action, there would be no change to the employment of ATCs if ADS-B was available in Class C TMAs. It is purely a financial decision based on the availability of the new radars. Sure some money needs to be spent but it was spent to introduce multilateration to the Sydney area and certify the system for both 3NM separation and PRM operations.
As for operational control, as I recall the ATCs went quietly and calmly having been given VR because their jobs had been abolished. We now have operational control by companies, which pretty much devolves instantly to the pilots, and leaves us with two B737s diverting to Mildura when it was foggy. But that is a different thread...
To return to ADS-B, it is not the J-curve where the issues are. The J-curve does not need ADS-B, but it will one day when the current radars are phased out. The issue I think you are referring to is the mandating of expensive equipment for all IFR aircraft when some of those aircraft would never operate in controlled airspace or at least in airspace where ADS-B was not going to be used. CASA has gone some way to relieving that situation.
The question now is - if all of our IFR aircraft have ADS-B and there is substantial ADS-B coverage below FL290, why is it not being utilised to provide a service to everyone who had to buy the equipment? A single ADS-B unit can be augmented by more nearby, if there is a will. However do not forget that a farmer somewhere will want to be paid to have this bar fridge sized thing with a satellite dish attached surrounded by a fence in the middle of his favourite paddock! Currently I'm told they are all mounted on existing Airservices VHF outlet or other already owned towers. Someone has to pay.
To my mind the next achievable ideal state would be to first control all IFR aircraft where the terrestrial system is adequate, (Class E) and then have space based receivers looking into every nook and cranny of airspace downloading pictures to the ATC centres. The safety benefit will be to be able to have ATC separation of all IFR aircraft from each other, regardless of altitude, and also to assist similarlly equipped VFR aircraft if they need assistance. (If we were able to adopt the US UATS the VFR aircraft could also see each other) More is possible in the more distant future if autonomous aircraft are anything to go by, but one step at a time.