No subject

only person involved in the protests. Many people were involved in the
protests and 18 were charged. But Craig=C2=92s 17 co-accused either had all
of their charges dismissed or reduced to the minor charge of unlawful
assembly. They were sentenced to a good behaviour bond and a fine.

The prosecutor refused to consider a similar arrangement for Craig,
leaving him as the only protester to face charges of verbal abuse,
criminal damage and affray. The court never answered the question of how
one person can commit affray by themselves.

Craig=C2=92s immediate jail sentence of nine months is totally out of
proportion to sentences in other cases. There have been cases of serious
physical assaults against people which have resulted in a suspended
sentence. There have also been political protests/occupations which have
resulted in far more property damage than in the Johnson Tiles/Skilled
Engineering protests which have resulted in good behaviour bonds or
community service.

Why the courts, the state government and the employers targeted Craig
Even though the dispute at Johnson Tiles was lost, the AMWU under Craig
Johnston=C2=92s and Workers=C2=92 First=C2=92s leadership won enormous incr=
eases in
wages and conditions for Victorian manufacturing workers since they were
elected in 1998.

In 2000, the AMWU=C2=92s ``Campaign 2000=C2=92=C2=92 saw the introduction o=
f a pattern
agreement, putting a stop to the previous leadership=C2=92s practice of
leaving each workplace to fight for its own EBA in isolation.

For the first time in many years a majority of AMWU members fought
side-by-side to successfully win a 15% wage increase, long service leave
after 10 years and income protection. This approach was continued in
2003 to win the 36-hour week in many factories.

The industrial successes of Craig Johnston and the Workers First
leadership infuriated the bosses. The bosses wanted to lower the wages
and conditions of Victorian AMWU members to the level of other states.

Heather Ridout from the manufacturing bosses=C2=92 organisation, the
Australian Industry Group, told the Saturday Age (22/5/04) that =C2=93We
talked to his own union about getting rid of him [Craig]=C2=85=C2=94.

Curiously, AMWU National Secretary Doug Cameron, who has been an ardent
opponent of Craig Johnston and the Workers First leadership, has been
helping the Australian Industry Group by trying to oust Craig from the
industry.

Why Craig pleaded guilty
Many people are asking why Craig pleaded guilty to some of the charges.

During the committal proceedings, the AMWU organiser who was in charge
of the Johnson Tiles picket line, Zelco Curak, became witness for the
state in return for having the charges against him dropped. Curak did
this with the blessing of the AMWU national office, despite the fact
that participated in all of the Johnson Tiles/Skilled Engineering
protests. He was even the person who asked Craig to join the protests.

All the big guns were lined up against Craig =C2=96 the manufacturing
employers, the Bracks government, the Howard government, the media, the
ACTU and the national leadership of the AMWU. All of them have stated
publicly that they don't want Craig to lead the Victorian AMWU branch
and they don't want his example of organised unionism represented in the
union movement.

As a result, Craig and his lawyers were not convinced that he would get
a fair trial given the political nature of the case and Curak=C2=92s vastly
exaggerated account of the affair.

Media reports had already prejudiced Craig=C2=92s case before his trial was
due to begin in May and the AMWU national leadership openly campaigned
against Craig instead of building a campaign to support him.

These were the reasons why Craig decided to plead guilty to the lesser
charges once the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) withdrew the
most serious and unsubstantiated charge.

After Craig received a suspended sentence, the anti-trade union movement
immediately organised a massive media campaign to have the decision
overturned. The DPP=C2=92s appeal to Craig=C2=92s suspended sentence led to=
 the
nine month jail term that he is now serving.

Dangerous precedents
Doug Cameron and the AMWU national leadership have refused to oppose the
use of criminal law against unionists instead of industrial law. This
sets a dangerous precedent and invites much broader attacks against all
unionists.

When organising members for better wages and conditions, any decent
union is forced to confront the legal restrictions on industrial action,
and risk criminal charges.  This is the way it is in Howard=C2=92s Australi=
a.

Why 15 unions supported Craig
In contrast to the ACTU and the AMWU national leadership, 15 of the
country=C2=92s most effective union leaderships are supporting Craig
Johnston.

Although some of the 15 unions that are supporting Craig, thought that
the run-through protests at Skilled Engineering and Johnson Tiles were a
mistake, they all recognised that the run-throughs were part of an
industrial campaign to save workers=C2=92 jobs, and that emotions run high
when companies throw workers on to the scrap heap.

They recognise the injustice of Johnson Tiles/Skilled Engineering being
able to freely strip away workers=C2=92 livelihoods, while, the unionists w=
ho
went in to bat for the workers were confronted with criminal charges.

They support union leaderships that selflessly put their own necks on
the line to defend their members.

They also support the way Craig unselfishly assists other workers in
other industries in their efforts to defend their entitlements,
regardless of whether they work in the textile industry, in construction
or postal services under the motto ``Touch one, touch all=C2=92=C2=92.

The Free Craig Johnston Committee is calling on all workers to:
* Photocopy and circulate this leaflet as widely as possible.
* Pass motions condemning the jailing of Craig Johnston in your
workplace and at union leadership meetings - shop stewards meetings,
branch meetings, branch council meetings etc . The motion should ask for
your union, the ACTU and the NSW Labor Council to initiate or get
involved with a campaign to release Craig. (please forward all motions
to the Free Craig Johnston Campaign)
* Ask your union and union officials what they are doing to secure
Craig=C2=92s release from jail.
* Place your name on the Free Craig Johnston Campaign contact sheet and
participate in the Free Craig Johnston Campaign meetings.
* Be ready for the call to action when announced.

Unlike Cameron and Co, honest fair dinkum unionists take disagreements
and contentious issues to the members, not to the police and the courts.
Union members must decide the fate for Craig Johnston.

Published by the Free Craig Johnston Committee
Send messages of support to Craig Johnston at: PO Box 12263, A=C2=92Beckett
St, Melbourne Vic 8006
For information, phone Liam: 0415 365 937; Jenny 0407 014 296; Sue
(Victoria)  0413-377-978.
Fax copies of motions to (03)9341-3427; Email copies of motions to
liam.mitchell at optusnet.com.au, sueb at dsp.org.au, johnc at vic.cfmeu.asn.au.