Maritime Union of Australia members gave in-principle support for a merger with the construction union, while employers fearful of a mega-union emerging said union amalgamations should be subject to a legal public interest test.

…Australian Mines and Metals Association executive director Scott Barklamb said “just as businesses pursuing vertical integration are subject to competition considerations, so too should the public interest be taken into account in the structuring of trade unions.”

The full article was published in the Australian Financial Review on 1 March 2016.