Defense Committee For Aussie MUA Organizer Bob Carnegie

Defense Committee For Aussie MUA Organizer Bob Carnegie
http://www.facebook.com/groups/bobcarnegie2011/permalink/519082854787614/

Melissa White posted in Bob Carnegie for Queensland State Secretary of the MUA

Melissa White

1:24pm Oct 16

Bob Carnegie, community protest organiser in the Queensland Children's 
Hospital dispute in Brisbane, is being sued on 54 separate counts by the 
main contractor, Abigroup.

Abigroup is seeking damages on the grounds that Bob defied a court order 
which they got, instructing him to stay away from the community protest. 
As of 16 October, the (right-wing) Queensland state government has 
applied also to be part of the court case.

A defence campaign, the Trade Union Defence Committee, has been set up 
in Brisbane, and socialists will be working to spread the campaign 
across Australia and internationally.

The secretary of the campaign is Ian Curr, who can be contacted at 
iancurr@bigpond.com or at +61407687016. A web page for the campaign will 
soon be up at http://workersbushtelegraph.com.au/

Bob says: "It's an act of intimidation by Abigroup and their law firm to 
try to bring people to heel by the threat of legal action. We'll 
certainly be fighting this one".

The first court hearing is on 17 October, but legal advice is that the 
case will run for several months. The charges could lead to fines of up 
to $400,000, and maybe a jail sentence.

As part of the dispute settlement, Abigroup agreed to drop legal 
proceedings against a number of QCH workers. We now need a big campaign 
to force Abigroup to drop its vindictive action against Bob Carnegie.

It is an attempt to intimidate not only an individual, but every 
organiser in every workers' battle in future.

The Trade Union Defence Committee is also organising a benefit to raise  funds for the workers who lost nine weeks' pay in the dispute. It will  be on Saturday 27 October, from 7pm at the Serbian Hall, 243-7 Vulture 
St, South Brisbane.