Journalists' union complains to ACTU after reporters banned from Shorten's address

Ban on reporters covering union dinner described as a 'two-fingered salute to the working media'

The journalists' union has lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Council of Trade Unions after reporters covering the union congress in Brisbane were banned from a dinner that included an address by the opposition leader, Bill Shorten.

The peak union body has refused to explain why it barred industrial relations reporters from the event for the first time. "The congress dinner was a private ticketed event for delegates and was not open to the media," an ACTU spokesman said.