[Imc-zimbabwe] Free Craig Johnston! Australian Trade union leader jailed for defending workers

[glparramatta]

Free Craig Johnston!
Trade union leader jailed for defending workers

Former Australain Manufacturing Workers Union Victorian secretary Craig 
Johnston was jailed for nine months by the Victorian Supreme Court on 27 
August for taking part in brief occupations of the premises of Skilled 
Engineering and Johnson Tiles during an industrial dispute over job cuts 
in 2001.

All social protest movements - the student movement, environment 
movement, anti-racism movement, women's movement and others - as well as 
the trade union movement, have at times occupied or walked through 
premises. Sometimes this has resulted in damage to property.

No trade unionist or political activist should be jailed for taking part 
in such a protest.

This nine month jail sentence is totally disproportionate. For all the 
workplace deaths and injuries suffered by Australian workers every year 
- including thousands of deaths caused by James Hardie asbestos products 
- you won't find one single employer behind bars.

Despite 17 others being arrested during the industrial dispute at 
Johnson Tiles in Melbourne in 2001, only Craig Johnston has been jailed. 
The others either had their charges dismissed or received good behaviour 
bonds.

Some of the Johnson Tiles workers haven't worked since the dispute. 
Johnson Tiles has not been prosecuted for stripping away the livelihoods 
of the 29 workers, and yet one of the unionists defending jobs is in jail.

Fifteen unions in Victoria have signed a statement calling for the 
release of Craig Johnston. We join them in calling for the immediate 
release of Craig Johnston.

If you wish to add your name to this statement, email <sueb at dsp.org.au> 
or post to: Free Craig Johnston Campaign, PO Box 12263, A'Beckett St, 
Melbourne 3006, Australia. For further information, phone Sue Bolton: 
0413-377-978

SIGNED:
Australia: Humphrey McQueen, historian; Michael McKeon, Music Students' 
Representative, Newcastle University Students Association (NUSA); Peter 
Boyle; Vanessa, Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific; Mehrdad 
Valipour; Max Lane, Research Fellow, Asia Research Centre, Murdoch 
University; Alex Miller, Macquarie University; Gilbert Quimpo, 
Department of Political and Social Change, ANU; Lesley and John van der 
Velden, Canberra; Terry Costello, CPSU Telecommunications Section 
Secretary and CPSU national Councillor; Dale Mills, civil rights 
activist, Sydney; Jean Cockram; Craig Greer ; Lesley Cockram; Manuel Piris

International:
Canada: Kenji Kunitomi, Greg Albo, Toronto, Ontario;
India: Srilata Swaminathan,vice president, All India Central Council of 
Trade Unions and president, All India  Progressive Women's Association; 
  Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary, CPI(ML) Liberation, New 
Delhi; P.K. Murthy, All India Federation of trade Unions; Kunal 
Chattopadhyay, Reader in History, Jadavpur University, Calcutta; Soma 
Marik, Reader in History, RKS Mission Vivekananda Vidyabhavan, West 
Bengal; Tapan Bose, Government Employees Union, West Bengal;
Japan: Japan Revolutionary Communist League;
Mauritius: Lindsey Collen, Lalit, Mauritius;
New Zealand: Maire Leadbeater, Member PSA; Matt McCarten, Leader of the 
NZ Alliance Party and secretary of the Unite Workers Union; Youssef Mourra;
Philippines: Partido ng Manggagawang Pilipino-Pinagsanib (PMP or Workers 
Party of the Philippines-Merger);
Scotland: Steve Arnott, Regional Council, Highlands and Islands, 
Scottish Socialist Party; Frank Ward, Secretary, Caithness & Sutherland 
Branch, Scottish Socialist Party; Alister Black, SSP International 
Committee; Bill Scott, Shop Steward, National Union of Journalists, 
Scottish Socialist Party Group, Scottish Parliament; Tom Jones, St 
Andrews, Scotland; Dr Lani Russell, SSP research and media unit, 
Scottish Parliament; Lisa Young, Distribution Co-ordinator, Scottish 
Socialist Voice; Jo Harvie, Editor, Scottish Socialist Voice; Roz 
Paterson, Deputy Editor, Scottish Socialist Voice; Bob Goupillot, 
Scottish Socialist Party (Midlothian Branch); Linda Gibson, Scottish 
Socialist Party (Midlothian Branch); Les Robertson, branch organiser, 
Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Branch, Scottish Socialist Party; Dr Patrick 
Shaw, University of Glasgow;
South Africa: Dr. Dale  T. McKinley (Anti-Privatisation Forum);
UK: Dr Andrew McGonigal, University of Leeds;
USA: Caroline Lund,Trustee and member of Executive Board, United Auto 
Workers Local 2244, Fremont, California; Professor Brian Leiter, 
University of Texas, Austin;