BY SUE BULL
MELBOURNE Tony Abbott, federal workplace relations minister, used parliamentary privilege on May 29 to savagely attack the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and, in particular, Craig Johnston, the secretary of the Victorian branch of the AMWU.
Having been asked what the conflict between the Victorian branch of the AMWU and the national office might mean for economic growth and jobs, Abbott launched a tirade. He described the conflict between AMWU national secretary Doug Cameron and Johnston as the militant versus the ultra-militant and the Marxist versus the maniac.
In a clear abuse of parliamentary privilege, Abbott said: Johnston's commitment to creating employment involves turning up uninvited outside a business and exercising his right of entry by smashing down the door with a crowbar.
Abbott was referring to charges that have recently been laid against Johnston. Seventeen unionists, including Johnston, have been charged for an alleged break-in at the Box Hill offices of Skilled Engineering on June 15, 2001, and alleged verbal and physical attacks against scabs employed by Skilled Engineering at Johnson tiles in the same month.
The unionists are denying all charges, and Abbott's comments would have seen him sued if made outside parliament.
The first of the serious charges including a threat to kill will be heard on June 3. Abbott's disgusting abuse of parliamentary privilege seems timed to influence the court case.
Just to make sure that he'd really put the boot in, Abbott went on to say, 13 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a Trotskyite is able to sabotage the operation of the Victorian Labor Party.
Chris Spindler, convenor of the Skilled Six Campaign, which is supporting the charged AMWU leaders, was furious at Abbott's comments. I'd like to know who's doing the sabotaging around here, he told Green Left Weekly. I condemn the use of parliamentary privilege to attack trade unionists who are defending their members.
On the other hand, Spindler pointed out: I guess when Abbott attacks you, you know that you're doing your job. You're certainly having an impact.
Spindler told GLW that the union is refusing to be cowed by the attacks from Abbott, the state government or the police. They can throw as much mud as they like but it won't stop us informing and mobilising our members to expose the real truth. We will expose how state and federal governments from both parties are in cahoots, trying to destroy militant trade unionism in Victoria. They'll concoct any lie, present any shabby evidence just to weaken the collective bargaining power of workers. That's what this is really all about, he said.
The Skilled Six Campaign will be organising open meetings the next one is at 5.30pm on June 13 at the John Curtin Hotel on Lygon Street. Already, a May 29 AMWU stewards' meeting unanimously carried a motion calling on the AMWU national council to pay for all of the accuseds' court costs. For more information on the campaign, phone Chris Spindler on 0425 784 819.
From Green Left Weekly, June 5, 2002.
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