Sue Bolton
On September 10, the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) executive unanimously adopted a resolution expressing its "concern at the jailing of Craig Johnston and the excessive length of the custodial sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal".
Johnston, a former Victorian branch secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), took the rap for an industrial protest against the sacking of workers and was originally given a suspended sentence by the Melbourne County Court on May 21. However, he was jailed for nine months on August 27 after three appeal court judges overturned the suspended sentence.
The VTHC executive's resolution also stated that "we consider that a nine-month custodial sentence is harsh and disproportionate given all the circumstances. Further, the sentence for this incident, which occurred in the context of an industrial dispute, must be compared to the lack of punishment for corporate crime. For example, an employer who is responsible for the death or serious injury of a worker through either gross negligence or a flagrant breach of the Occupational Health and Safety Act is unlikely to be jailed. In this respect, Craig Johnston has paid a heavy and unequal price."
The motion was moved by Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) state secretary Martin Kingham and seconded by AMWU state secretary Dave Oliver. Twenty unions were represented at the meeting.
VTHC president and Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union state secretary Michele O'Neil told Green Left Weekly that "the VTHC resolution is significant because it was unanimous despite the strongly held different views about what's happening in the AMWU".
AMWU metal division state secretary Steve Dargavel said that the VTHC executive motion had come in the wake of the adoption by mass meetings from many workplaces of motions calling on their union leaderships to condemn Johnston's jailing.
Dargavel said that "what is important about this [unanimous VTHC] decision is it ends the quite nasty speculation by the media which is trying to demonstrate that the labour movement is divided on the question of jailing unionists".
On September 3, the prison authorities told Johnston that because he was "high profile", he would have to go to a medium security jail instead of a low security prison farm. Johnston has since been moved to Loddon jail near Castlemaine in central Victoria.
Despite being having a higher public profile than Johnston, business tycoon Alan Bond, who was sentenced in 1997 to four years imprisonment for defrauding Bell Resources of $1.2 billion, served his sentence on a low-security prison farm.
Johnston hasn't taken his jailing lying down. In a letter to friends, he wrote: "There are plenty of blokes that are interested in unions and construction (CFMEU) in particular. So I'm spreading the gospel. Dare to struggle, Dare to win!"
The union movement hasn't deserted Johnston either, with 15 union secretaries having established a Craig Johnston Trade Union Support Committee, in addition to the rank-and-file Free Craig Johnston Campaign. Since the 15 unions established their committee on September 3, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has now joined them.
Several unions are levying their officials to provide finances to Johnston's family as well as campaign funds. A big public meeting is planned for September 23. Leafleting of workplaces and workplace meetings is being organised to explain the issues and combat the distortions from the mainstream media coverage of the case.
A date hasn't been set for a mass protest rally, but this is what the campaign is building towards.
A campaign committee has been set up in Sydney, and is organising a protest on September 24. Three branches of the NSW Teachers Federation — Parramatta, Bankstown and Lower Blue Mountains — have passed motions calling on the union leadership to support the campaign.
The Western Australian branch of the Maritime Union of Australia passed a motion of support at its monthly meeting. Offers to donate money and support the campaign have come in from all states of Australia, including people in regional cities like Wagga Wagga.
The most important way that people can help the campaign is by raising the issue in their union. The campaign can be contacted by phoning 0413 377 978 or (03) 9639 8622, by fax at (03) 9341 3427 or by email at <sueb@dsp.org.au>.
[Next week's Green Left Weekly will print a letter from Craig Johnston to his supporters.]
From Green Left Weekly, September 15, 2004.
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