HSU top brass to discuss Shorten action

The top brass of the embattled Health Services Union will meet to discuss ongoing brawling within its ranks and federal government moves to put its East branch into administration.

The meeting of the HSU national executive begins at 11am (AEST) in Sydney on Friday.

Acting President Chris Brown told AAP he expected the meeting to be quite heated.

“It’s probably the most unpredictable meeting of the national executive that we’re going to go into,” he said.

Mr Brown said the meeting will consider Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten’s announcement on Thursday that the government would make an unprecedented application in the Federal Court seeking a declaration that the HSU’s East branch had “ceased to function effectively”.

The minister will ask the court to approve a scheme for the appointment of an administrator “until democratic control of the branch can be restored”.

Under Mr Shorten’s plan, the East branch would be broken up into the three separate branches that existed prior to an amalgamation in August 2010.

All the elected positions would become vacant and the administrator would run the branch until fresh elections could be held.

Mr Brown said he strongly supports Mr Shorten’s course of action.

He said demerging the East branch would establish some stability and give members of that branch the opportunity to determine fresh leaders.

“It will close down the factional fighting between Kathy Jackson and (president) Michael Williamson,” he said.

Mr Williamson has been suspended from the union since October last year on full pay following allegations he embezzled union funds. He denies any wrongdoing.

It’s believed the meeting may also discuss the fate of Mr Williamson and Ms Jackson.

Mr Brown said the national executive meeting would also discuss Federal Court action initiated by the union’s national secretary Ms Jackson.

Ms Jackson alleges up to 20 of the 70 members of the HSU East branch are not entitled to vote at union council meetings because they are employed by the union.

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