Sue Bolton
In a letter to all national and state union secretaries and trades and labour council secretaries on November 3, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union national secretary Doug Cameron stated that he “has been approached by a number of union officials seeking clarification on the AMWU’s position in relation to the jailing of Craig Johnston, the campaign to free him from jail and requests for workers to make donations to the campaign”.
While Cameron claims that he is on record opposing Johnston’s jailing, the letter makes several insinuations that undermine the campaign for Johnston’s release.
In an attempt to marginalise the campaign his letter claims that “The AMWU is not part of this campaign. The key personnel driving this campaign are based in the Socialist Alliance and Green Left Weekly.”
Fifteen unions, including three divisions of the AMWU’s Victorian branch and thousands of rank-and-file union members are supporting the campaign, as well as Socialist Alliance, Green Left Weekly, the Refugee Action Collective in Victoria, Australia-Asia Worker Links and many others.
By stating that “the tactics used at Johnston [sic] Tiles and Skilled Engineering damaged the AWMU and the broader union movement”, Cameron is implying that the media’s distorted version of the events iss correct.
Cameron urges the recipients of the letter to read the Court of Appeal decision to jail Johnston, implying that he endorses this decision, despite his earlier claim to the contrary.
Cameron also stated: “The AMWU does not endorse any levies or collections on behalf of Craig Johnston. If individuals wish to make a contribution to the Socialist Alliance sponsored campaign then that is entirely up to them.” This suggests that the Socialist Alliance benefits from fundraising for the Free Craig Johnston Campaign, which is entirely untrue. All fundraising is democratically controlled by either the Free Craig Johnston Campaign or the Craig Johnston Trade Union Support Committee.
Cameron’s resort to the age-old tactic of red-baiting indicates that he hasn’t been successful in stopping union support for the campaign to free Johnston — a campaign that is so necessary for all unionists to unite behind, regardless of which faction they might be aligned with.
The office bearers of the Craig Johnston Trade Union Support
Committee responded to the allegations raised by Cameron
with the letter also published in this issue of Green Left Weekly.
From Green Left Weekly, November 24, 2004.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.
