Major Union Breaks Ranks With Labor

In a move showing how widespread dissatisfaction with the Carbon tax is in the Australian community even the Electrical Trades Union has rejected  the carbon tax package. When unions start to defect it shows that Julia Gillard cannot even keep her own house in order.

A BIG blue-collar union has broken ranks and says it cannot support the Gillard government's carbon tax package because of the ''total absence'' of a jobs plan for the struggling Latrobe Valley.

Electrical Trades Union state secretary Dean Mighell said while the union supported pricing carbon, lack of a detailed plan for new industry or assistance to workers meant there was a risk of a ''massive social impact'' from the likely closure of Hazelwood power station.

Mr Mighell said about 800 direct jobs would be lost if Hazelwood closed while the loss of indirect jobs could flow into the thousands. He also warned that shutting the plant, without alternative base-load power, increased the risk of brownouts in Victoria.