Norrian Rundle, Australian Education Union Victorian branch state councillor.
If we can't defend Craig, then whenever unionists break the law, they're going to be vulnerable to this sort of attack. Teachers need to understand that these laws can be used against us.
In the Richmond Secondary School [in 1994], there were teachers on the picket line who broke the law. They could have had the same sort of charges brought against them that are now being brought against Craig.
Jeremy Smith, National Tertiary Education Union Victorian division executive
The danger for the union movement as a whole is that this won't just effect one unionist but will spread to other unions and will effect other militants in other unions.
The Howard government is trying to change the Workplace Relations Act to criminalise more basic activities of unionists.
Earl Setches, Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union — plumbing division national secretary and Victorian branch secretary
Craig Johnston supports working class people and working class people should be supporting him when he's been singled out at this time. We've sometimes had demarcation disputes with Craig and the metalworkers, but there's no question about Craig's commitment to working class people and his members so we certainly support Craig in fighting these charges. He's been singled out. It's a political set up against Craig.
Graham Shearer, Ballarat Regional Trades & Labour Council secretary.
Craig Johnston is a very passionate and committed trade unionist. When there's a fear of members losing their jobs and they're confronted with companies that fail to respect the rights of workers and use every anti-union tactic at their disposal, it's only natural that you become emotionally involved. AMWU members in the past have relied on Craig Johnston in many disputes. And he's always delivered for them. As a trade union movement, we must not allow him to be singled out and become a victim of a sinister political campaign.
John Parker, Gippsland Trades & Labour Council secretary.
I went through the campaign against the deregistration of the BLF [Builders Labourers Federation]. This campaign has the same hallmarks ... targeting people to try to reduce militant unionism. Craig seems to be the one left holding the bag. I think it's part of the federal government's tactic of undermining unionism as a whole.
Skilled Engineering is at the heart of Craig's case. The company is completely outrageous. We just caught them out exploiting Indigenous workers from Queensland. They brought the workers down to Gippsland and didn't pay them for weeks on end. The site delegate found them sharing a pie between three people because they couldn't afford food. That's the type of operation that Skilled Engineering run all around the country.
Bill Game, Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union — electrical division WA branch secretary.
The courts are the bosses' courts and they're now being used out of frustration by the employers to attack unionists. Craig Johnston has a reputation as a fighter for workers and it's caused problems within his own union. He made a lot of people who were very close to the ALP feel very uncomfortable, and there are a lot of people at the top end of the union movement who would be rubbing their hands with glee. This use of the courts is an attack on workers and it's a reflection of what will occur in the future.
Joan Doyle, Communication Workers Union — postal and telecommunications branch Victorian state secretary.
I believe that Craig wanted to prevent jobs from being contracted out and replaced by insecure jobs at lower conditions. Anyone who has a red hot go at trying to stem the tide of labour hire jobs needs to be supported. Craig should be congratulated for backing up his members totally. Skilled Engineering is obviously anti-union and anyone that supports Skilled Engineering's end goals is doing unionism a disservice.
Michael Thomson, National Tertiary Education Union NSW division assistant state secretary
Why are they treating Craig Johnston differently? Craig was one of 18 charged and should be treated the same as everyone else. They are after Craig because he was a union leader who fought for jobs, was assertive when it came to speaking up for union members, and fought hard for members entitlements, conditions and job security. Craig was a union leader who wasn't a toadie for the bosses.
John Howard and his government commit violence against working Australians every day. For university staff Howard's government has meant enormous workloads, long hours, unpaid overtime, growing student numbers and no decent support or resources. John Howard and his mates should be on trial — not Craig.
Brendan Murphy, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union organiser, Geelong region
I've never met anybody with the commitment to members that Craig has. The time and effort that he put in and the difference that he made in the Geelong area in bringing wages and conditions up was nothing short of a miracle. It was a dogs breakfast before he came to Geelong.
I've had a 25-year association with Craig and I know he's as genuine as you can find. He hasn't built any mansions. He owns a portable home and that's his only asset.
His whole life's been devoted to fellow workers. And not just his union. He's the first one to ride in and support others in struggle. It's a real travesty the way that he's being set up to make sure he can't have an influence in the trade-union movement or run for an elected position.
Craig has been an absolute inspiration to me and whenever I get a bit of a stitch I just think of the commitment that he puts in and think that I can push a little bit harder.
Damien Lawson, Greens member and former Victorian Peace Network coordinator.
When war was looming, Craig took the lead in mobilising the labour movement to oppose the attack on Iraq. His untiring attempts to develop a militant and independent union movement have been an inspiration. This is not the first time that militant unionists have been called before the courts and it won't be the last. He deserves the support and solidarity of activists and unionists as he faces these politically motivated charges.
Jim Reid, AMWU printing division Vic branch secretary
We all know of numerous examples of corporate bastardry where the bosses run away from their obligations to workers in respect to their statutory entitlements. We all know of numerous examples of bosses conducting systematic bullying and harassing of workers. The system seems impotent when dealing with these rogue employers and they are able to do their dirty work with impunity.
The government lied to us about the children overboard. It lied about the GST. It rips any notion of industrial democracy to shreds and seek to create an imbalance in favour of the bosses and deny workers any chance of a fair go.
Workers are killed and maimed every day of the week in Australia and the only people to remark on it are unions. The bosses and their governments are strangely silent on this most important of issues.
We have witnessed the debacle of the building industry royal commission where the government spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money on a wild-goose chase pursuing good trade unionists who did no more than look after the interests of members.
Craig Johnston has spoken out on each and every one of these issues. He has incurred the wrath of employer groups and governments and is now paying the price for his defence of Australian workers and their families.
Other unionists who have spoken out in support of Craig Johnston include: Peter Tighe (CEPU national secretary); Peter Marshall (UFU national secretary and Vic branch secretary); Michele O'Neil (TCFU Vic branch secretary); Kevin Bracken (MUA Vic branch secretary); Chris Cain (MUA WA branch secretary); Ian Bray (MUA WA branch assistant secretary); Len Cooper (CWU-T&services branch Vic secretary); Brendan Henley (CWU-P&T branch Vic organiser); Dean Mighell (ETU Vic branch secretary); Martin Kingham (CFMEU Vic branch secretary); Kevin Reynolds (CFMEU WA branch secretary); Judy McVey (CPSU-FACS section president - speaking in a personal capacity)
If you would like to add your comments in support of the Defend Craig Johnston Campaign, ring Sue Bolton on 0413 377 978 or (03) 9639 8622 or email <sue_Bolton@hotmail.com>
From Green Left Weekly, April 7, 2004.
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