It's 40 years since the start of the bitter and bloody wide combs dispute

Vernon Graham
May 14 2020 - 6:00am
REBEL WITH A CAUSE: Gun shearer, Robert White, from Mandurama, refused to bow to union pressure and violence and kept using wide combs.
REBEL WITH A CAUSE: Gun shearer, Robert White, from Mandurama, refused to bow to union pressure and violence and kept using wide combs.

Today marks the start of the bitter four-year wide comb dispute which helped change the industrial balance of power in Australia by seriously weakening compulsory unionism in the workforce.

Vernon Graham

Vernon Graham

National machinery and property writer

Former editor of The Land, former Fairfax Media Agricultural Editor

Get the latest VIC news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.