SA union secretary resigns

SA union secretary resigns

By Bronwen Beechey

ADELAIDE — Paul Noack resigned as the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) South Australian branch secretary on October 29. Noack's resignation followed a meeting of the AMWU's federal council to examine charges of "gross misbehaviour" against him.

On September 8, the Federal Court's Justice Mansfield convicted Noack of contempt of court for breaching court orders to cease harassing fellow union official Carolyn (Max) Adlam. In 1998, Noack was found guilty of sexual assault against Adlam. Noack will appeal the Federal Court decision.

Noack has come under fire from AMWU members in recent months for accepting job cuts at the Mitsubishi car plant in Adelaide, and for brokering an agreement between the union's vehicle division and labour hire company Adecco which allows Mitsubishi to hire temporary staff.

The union's 19,000-member state branch will be led jointly by acting assistant secretaries Jim Watson (metals division) and John Camillo (vehicle division) until a new state secretary is elected next year.

From GLW issue 385