Striking miners have threatened to rape the daughter of a worker who refused to protest, and called another child a ‘f***ing w***e’, but the men’s union continues to defend them.
Glencore workers at Oaky North mine have hurled abuse at workers who continued to work during a three-month siege at the central-west Queensland mine.
A protester left a sickening comment on a young girl’s photo of herself with her siblings and parents, who chose to continue working through the protest.
‘F***ing w***e and the family of scumbags,’ the man said according to The Courier Mail.
The men could be heard yelling sexual innuendos at non-striking workers as they left work
In footage taken in August this year, protesters could be heard telling workers to ‘crash your car into a tree on the way home’ as they drove from the mine after a day’s work.
‘Give yourself an uppercut, soft c**t,’ one man said.
The men could also be heard making sexual innuendos.
Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney said she did not condone the workers’ behaviour, but refused to apologise after the footage emerged.
Instead, the union boss shifted blame to Glencore for putting its workers in a difficult position.
‘We wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for Glencore’s behaviour,’ she said.
She also claimed some protesters were not members of the CFMEU.
In footage taken in August this year, protesters (pictured) could be heard telling workers ‘crash your car into a tree on the way home’ as they drove from the mine after a day’s work
‘We wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for Glencore’s behaviour,’ Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney (pictured) said
However, the behaviour was condemned by both sides of politics.
Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash called the workers’ threats ‘sickening’.
‘Threats to a person’s family and threats to rape their children they are absolutely disgusting and quite frankly, un-Australian,’ she told Nine News.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she did not support the behaviour.
Despite Labor’s close union ties, Premier Palaszczuk refused to speak to the union, the Courier Mail reported.
Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash called the workers’ threats ‘sickening’ (protesters pictured)
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemned the protesters’ bad behaviour on Wednesday.
‘Workers have the right to go to work without fear of intimidation and bullying. Enterprise bargaining should be conducted respectfully and in a way that improves productivity securing sustainable jobs into the future,’ he told The Courier Mail.
‘The thuggery and abuse engaged in by the CFMEU towards GLencore workers is sickening. All Australians will be disgusted by this behaviour.’
The Queensland Police force confirmed they were investigating.