Union militant’s uni visit ends up in court

Jessica Benton
A militant unionist faces court over alleged unlawful industrial action at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus.
Australian Building and Construction Commission has filed court proceedings alleging Craig Johnston “pressured” a sub-contractor working on the campus’s medical school project to employ a labourer.
He also allegedly stopped the unloading of supplies from a truck and refused the site manager’s instructions to allow the job to proceed.
The commission alleged Johnston had breached sections of the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2006 and the Workplace Relations Act 2006.
The commission alleged the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union was also liable because Johnston was acting as its “officer or agent”.
Johnston and the union face maximum fines of $25,800 and $143,000 respectively.
Johnston received a nine-month jail term over raids on industrial companies in 2001.
He pleaded guilty to affray, criminal damage and assault after the raids on factories in Bayswater and Box Hill.
The CFMEU later appointed Johnston a shop steward.
CFMEU assistant state secretary Bill Oliver said the union would fight the charges.
“We will be defending these allegations vigorously,” Mr Oliver said.
“The CFMEU suspects there may not even be a case, other than the fact Mr Johnston is involved.”
Mr Oliver called for Federal Government to abolish the building and construction commission, set up under the Howard Government to police work sites.
“The ABCC continues to live up to its reputation as a Howard Government attack dog, determined to cause trouble where none exists in its desperate efforts to besmirch the CFMEU,” he said.
“This organisation (ABCC), with more powers than the police, is a throwback to John Howard’s industrial relations system and it deserves to be scrapped in the same way WorkChoices was.”
Johnston will face Melbourne Federal Magistrates’ Court over the allegations after a directions hearing later this month.