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One of the worst cases of government intervention, in my life time, was when the military was used by the government to strike break. Most unusual for Labor to actively destroy the right to strike. So in reality it isn't a one side of politics thing, it is just presented that way by the media, funny that.

It is an interesting article and a raw piece of history for a lot of people.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://thesocialist.org.au/1989-pilots-dispute/[/URL]:

From the article:

30 years ago, Australia was gripped by industrial unrest that caused major disruption to domestic air travel. Airline pilots squared off against their employers. It was presented as a battle over pay, but really it represented much more.

The airlines were backed to the hilt by the Hawke Labor government, the right-wing media, and unfortunately, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Against all odds, the pilots put up a hard fight, but in the end, they were beaten by an unholy alliance that was hell bent on taking Australian capitalism in a new direction.

The 1989 pilots dispute was one of the most expensive Australia had ever seen. The government and the airlines spent hundreds of millions of dollars to not only win the battle, but to crush the pilot’s union – the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP).

During the dispute the government called a national emergency and deployed armed forces and planes to fly commercial routes. Hundreds of scab pilots from overseas had their visas fast tracked, and their wages paid by the government in an attempt to undermine the union’s campaign.