AMWU dispute explained

SYDNEY — The national and Victorian leaderships of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union are in dispute. The national leadership recently stood down the Victorian secretary Craig Johnston and, against the wishes of the Victorian branch, appointed their own administrator.

Johnston is a member of the militant Workers First faction. The national leadership has also sacked two industrial officers who are not Workers First members.

Members of the Victorian branch responded by picketing the office of the AMWU in Melbourne. Actively Radical TV has travelled to Melbourne to talk to the unionists involved in the dispute. A short documentary that will be broadcast on Channel 31 on September 8 at 9pm. It includes footage of the picket line and interviews with Craig Johnston and one of the sacked industrial officers, Denis Matson.

ARTV broadcasts in every Sunday from 9pm on Channel 31 Sydney (just past SBS on the UHF band).

From Green Left Weekly, September 4, 2002.

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From GLW issue 507