En Passant

The CFMEU is a major target of the Royal Commission witch hunt into unions precisely because it is one of the few unions left in Australia today that actually stands up for and fights for its members. The MBA’s safety smear campaign and the clearly anti-union and political nature of the charges against Lomax show that the building industry bosses and their state apparatchiks will stop at nothing in their quest to put profit before people.

This is a letter I just sent to the Canberra Times about its report today on the rally in support of CFMEU organiser Johnny Lomax against charges that if successful threaten every union and unionist in Australia. In summary it seems to me the wrong person may be in the dock.

Here is one photo from the 150 strong demonstration of support for building union organiser Johnny Lomax, charged with blackmail for the ‘crime’ of winning a pay rise for workers. If you look closely enough you might be able to see me.

This is part of a letter I sent on Sunday to the Canberra Times on the arrest and charging of building union organiser John Lomax. ‘Unionists and union leaders should be very very worried about this attempted criminalisation of industrial activity. If successful it will undermine every union in Australia. The charges against Lomax are an attack on unionism.’

The arrest of ACT CFMEU official John Lomax for trying to negotiate better pay and conditions for workers is an absolute disgrace, according to CFMEU National Construction Secretary Dave Noonan.
Mr Lomax was told by police that he was accused of forcing an employer to enter into an EBA and that as a result the employer suffered financial loss due to paying workers higher wages. Mr Noonan said that the government was criminalising the work of unions. “The criminal jurisdiction is not the domain of industrial matters and this is nothing but another vicious political attack on unions and the right to defend and improve pay and conditions for working people.”