Bastard Boys
ABC1 (Mini-Series 2007)
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Season 1
1/1/08Josh Bornstein, a young up-and-coming lawyer is outraged by the events on the docks of Melbourne and offers his services pro-bono to Greg Combet and the union movement.
Josh is amazed that Greg has no sort of legal strategy yet and urges him to go for a radical new approach - don't wait to be attacked. Attack first. Josh wants to take the company, even the government to court for conspiracy. It's visionary and scary!
Josh and the team begin the fight on what they know is imminent - the mass sacking of Patrick's entire unionised workforce. What they have been dreading takes place literally hours before they are due in court. Three days before Easter, security guards march MUA members off the Patrick docks around the country. These events are sure to divide the country.moreless
In November 1997, the National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) John Coombs gets a phone call warning him of a top secret plan to remove union members from their jobs on the waterfront. Assistant Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), Greg Combet, is called on for support to fight this injustice. They suspect somehow the government is involved and devise a three-pronged strategy to fight back - the union wins round one!
Then, the wharfies are locked out of Melbourne's Webb Dock. Johns is in Sydney, so Greg must try to handle the unfolding events. It will be a long hard fight ahead.moreless
