Andrew Martin, Brisbane

Jailed unionist Craig Johnston “put his own neck on the line to defend his members”, former Victorian state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) Frank Fairley said on November 20. Fairley was addressing a meeting organised by the Defend our Unions Committee, which was attended by 90 people.

The forum discussed the campaigns to free Johnston and to defend unions against the reelected Coalition government’s attacks.

Fairley explained how Johnston, leader of Workers First and former AMWU Victorian state secretary, was singled out and jailed for nine months in August for his part in a 2001 industrial dispute.

Following on from Fairley’s description of how Johnston was betrayed by the national leadership of his own union, Ian McLeod from the retired metalworkers committee told the meeting: “The Craig Johnston experience has showed us that ALP officials will rat on their workmates and let the bosses’ dogs loose on the militants. They use the bosses’ courts, they use the bosses’ tactics.”

Other speakers included Electrical Trades Union Queensland state secretary Dick Williams, who encouraged those at the meeting to “do more to support Craig in his bid for freedom”. Williams argued that “the involvement of the rank and file is critical in the fight against the Howard government ... Anyone who is not prepared to break the law in the fight against the unjust industrial relations laws is not worth their salt as a leader.”

According to Fairley, “The only thing Craig is guilty of is defending people’s jobs. If that’s a crime, then we’re all in trouble. This justice system is reprehensible. As Craig would say, ‘touch one, touch all’.”

From Green Left Weekly, November 24, 2004.
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