Sue Bolton, Melbourne
On May 10, at least 8000 trade unionists defied the employers, the federal and Victorian governments, the ACTU and the national officials of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union by rallying outside Melbourne's county court to defend Craig Johnston, the former AMWU Victorian branch secretary.
Johnston was facing trial on charges arising from an industrial dispute in June 2001.
Fourteen unions mobilised their members for the rally, with the biggest contingents coming from the metal, food and printing divisions of the AMWU, the construction division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), the Federated Engine Drivers and Firemens Association (FEDFA), the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the plumbers' union, the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).
Workers came from as far away as Portland, a four-hour drive from Melbourne.
Other unions supporting the rally were the United Firefighters Union, the CFMEU's forestry and furnishing trades divisions, the Rail, Train and Bus Union's rail division, the postal and telecommunications section and telecommunications and services section of the Communication, Electrical and Plumbers Union (CEPU).
The Socialist Alliance, of which Johnston is a member, had a contingent that included many unionists from interstate. The alliance's third national conference, held May 8-9, pledged support for the campaign to defend Johnston and other militant unionists under attack by the bosses and their governments.
The Refugee Action Collective and the National Union of Students also supported the rally.
Despite the broad range of union support, the Victorian Trades Hall Council did not back the rally — even though the unions that mobilised to defend Craig Johnston are the same unions that the VTHC relies on when it wants to mobilise workers to oppose Howard government policies.
The AMWU contingent of 2500-3000 workers was especially significant because the AMWU national officials had sent letters to the manufacturing employers' peak body, the Australian Industry Group, informing it of an AMWU national council motion that stated that the rally was not an AMWU-authorised event.
One employer responded to the AMWU national office letter by threatening that he would sue every individual employee who attended the rally. Another company sent letters to workers' homes, telling them that the rally wasn't authorised by the AMWU. Workers from both companies still attended the rally.
Just before the rally began, a notice was issued to AMWU employees that if any of them took a day off to attend the rally, they could be charged under the union's rules. A couple of officials received threats from the AMWU national office that they might be suspended if they attended the rally.
United Firefighters Union national secretary and Victorian secretary Peter Marshall told the rally that when five volunteer firefighters lost their lives fighting big fires near the south-western Victorian town of Linton, in 1998, the first one to organise donations for the families was Johnston.
"As a small union we rely on larger unions to support us", said Marshall. "Craig and the AMWU, the CFMEU and the ETU have always been there when we've needed them.
"[The government and the employers] are trying to knock off the larger unions and officials like Craig who are able to protect the weaker in society and that is why he is a target and why the CFMEU is a target. If the government can knock them off, then they can come and wipe away the smaller unions. If we don't make a stand now, that will be the end of all of us. We need to stand by Craig."
The rally chairperson, CFMEU Victorian secretary Martin Kingham, pointed out a banner carried by a group of workers from the Feltex factory. "It's very special that they are here today because two years ago they were in a huge struggle at their factory. It was Craig from the metal workers and the construction workers who went down to support their picket and helped them win their blue. They are here today as part of that solidarity, to repay that debt."
Kingham added that the issue in Johnston's case "is very simple. Craig Johnston and his people have always been there for workers in struggle, so it should be no surprise that Craig has been singled out.
"It's part of the overall attack against unionists, against the militant tradition here in Victoria. If there is anyone in Melbourne who represents that militant tradition more than anybody else, it is Craig Johnston."
FEDFA Victorian secretary Tommy Watson spoke on behalf of all the building unions, saying: "The trade union movement has too many people who think of themselves first and trade unions second. Craig Johnston is not one of those people. Craig has always been a giver to the trade union movement, not a taker."
The CFMEU's Western Australian assistant secretary Joe McDonald, MUA WA secretary Chris Cain and MUA WA assistant secretary Ian Bray flew to Melbourne to attend the rally.
McDonald pointed out that the ACTU executive and the national leaderships of a lot of unions "have moved heaven and earth to wash [Johnston's case] under the carpet. But if you look around at the size of the rally this morning you'd have to say that they haven't done a very good job."
McDonald presented a $5000 cheque from the WA CFMEU's fighting fund to the Defend Craig Johnston campaign.
When Cain addressed the crowd, he paid tribute to Victoria being the "heartland of the trade union movement in Australia". He said that many of the old, retired seafarers and watersiders "say we cannot allow a worker, a union official, to be attacked in this manner".
Cain condemned the role of the ALP and the ACTU in attacking Johnston. "We say to [ACTU secretary Greg] Combet, get out here and do the job that you were elected to do — to defend militant trade unionists. Craig Johnston brought thousands of workers down to the wharves during the Patrick's dispute [in 1998]. He was there welding containers together and sleepers together. The Victorian and the WA branches of the MUA will be there for him."
Len Cooper, Victorian secretary of the CEPU telecommunications and services branch and National Union of Students education officer Paul Coates also addressed the rally.
When Johnston addressed the crowd, he reminded everyone that "what has been lost in this whole thing is what caused this dispute. What happened to the 29 workers that were sacked by Johnson Tiles? Some of those workers have never worked since. Who is looking after them? When are Johnson Tiles and Skilled Engineering going to be charged for ruining 29 workers and their families' lives."
He acknowledged the work of Skilled Six Defence Committee over the past three years in raising money and organising speaking tours.
Johnston also said that "there has been one political party right from the outset that supported the Skilled Six campaign and supported the CFMEU and the other construction unions when they were attacked by the Howard government — and that is the Socialist Alliance".
He ended by saying: "I don't think this will be the last rally for trade unionists under attack. There is no doubt there is a political agenda to demonise trade unions."
To chants of "Craig Johnston, here to stay!" and "The workers united will never be defeated", Johnston was carried into the county court on the shoulders of fellow unionists.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, May 19, 2004.
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