Some "Labour" government

For the past month, Correction Inmate Employment instructors belonging to the Corrections Association have been engaging in low-level industrial action in an attempt to get their pay increased for the first time in four years. Part of this struggle has involved the Corrections Association's President, Beven Hanlon, explaining his unions stance in the media. And so today, the Department of Corrections threatened to fire him for it. Which immediately begs the question: what the hell sort of a "Labour" government is this? And isn't this crossing the line into punishing an employee for union activity, in breach of the Employment Relations Act?