Support Bob Carnegie

Solidarity with Bob Carnegie

An Injury to One is an Injury to All

URGENT: All available to attend rally in support of MUA Member Bob Carnegie on this Monday 11th February in BRISBANE at the Federal Magistrates Court 8.30am 119 North Quay.

Here is the campaign
http://bobcarnegiedefence.wordpress.com/
Update 11th feb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbwh9E9oerc
Report of day’s hearing: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/unionists-rally-outside-federal-court-to-support-bob-carnegie-over-contempt-charges/story-e6freoof-1226575245366
http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/protest-over-veteran-unionist-outside-federal-court-20130211-2e7js.html
SOLIDARITY SYDNEY: The Bond Building 11am, 30 Hickson Rd, Millers Point.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/building-workers-walk-off-job-on-lend-lease-projects-20130212-2e9ge.html

Report of what happened on the 11th february.
http://workersbushtelegraph.com.au/2013/02/11/hands-off-bob/
Background:
Bob faces charges from a strike and community picket last year at the Queensland Children’s Hospital construction site. Workers struck for nine weeks against low wages being paid to some subcontracted plastering workers. The workers won, but now the construction company Abigroup is suing Bob personally.

Bob faces 54 charges of contempt of court, one of the most significant legal attacks on an individual unionist in Australia in recent years.

Bob has stood up for every worker. It’s our turn to stand up for him. Bob’s main activities over the past three decades is a life dedicated to the cause of the working class.

Fact sheet: please forward this Bob Carnegie Defence files to unionists.

http://bobcarnegiedefence.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/defendbobc-feb2013.pdf

Crumlin Calls On Lend Lease CEO To Drop Carnegie Charges 6th February 2013
National Secretary MUA Paddy Crumlin called on comrades throughout the union to take part in community rallies in support of Bob Carnegie. Crumlin dispatched a letter to Lend Lease, the parent company of Agigroup, pledging to take the Bob Carnegie defence campaign across the globe.
The full letter follows:

‘Steve McCann 
Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director 
Lend Lease 
Level 4
The Bond
30 Hickson Road
Millers Point NSW 2000

Dear Mr. McCann:
I write in regards to the legal cases facing Bob Carnegie.

Abigroup, a subsidiary of Lend Lease, is aggressively pushing the contempt of court charges against Mr. Carnegie in what can only be viewed as retribution for the industrial action undertaken against Abigroup.

This position serves no useful purpose to your company. As you know, the actual dispute, which led to Mr. Carnegie’s support of a community protest, is long over with a negotiated agreement now existing between Abigroup and the workers.

In fact, continuing to prosecute this case against Mr. Carnegie will do harm to your company’s image in the community and its long-term relations with its workers. The picture people will see is that of a large, powerful company trying to destroy and bankrupt one individual.

Indeed, it puts your company at odds with basic democratic Australian values: the right to free speech and the right to support your co-workers.

Due to the unfairness of the actions, I can assure you that I will not only be agitating on behalf of my union in the public arena in Australia but I will be taking up this matter within the International Transport Workers, the 5.1 million –member federation of which I am president.

In addition, the matter will come before the International Trade Union Council, whose General Secretary Sharan Burrow is deeply concerned about this matter.

Together, we will be considering what actions should be taken to ensure that you remedy the matter by withdrawing the legal matters and move on so that further constructive relationships between the workers and your company can be delivered.

I can also assure you that I am part of a network of concerned community activists in Australia that will be protesting in the strongest terms possible outside your offices at the commencement of the court case to further ventilate the unfairness of this unfair and counterproductive action of Lend Lease.

I regret taking this action, which is highly likely to bring Lend Lease into international disrepute. And, again, on behalf of the Maritime Union of Australia, I urge you, in the strongest terms, to revisit the matter and terminate all legal proceedings. I await your response to this matter.

Sincerely, Paddy Crumlin National Secretary
Maritime Union of Australia
Cc: Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Council
Cc: Steve Cotton, General Secretary, International Transport Workers
Cc: Dave Oliver, Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions

http://www.mua.org.au/news-story/3527/

Support from unions in Australia and oveseas is strong.

Take action
1. Pass a resolution in your union, political or
community organisation
Amend the resolution below as needed (and email a
copy to DefendBobCarnegie@gmail.com):
“This workplace / meeting / branch of the XXX
union / political / community organisation:
a) condemns Abigroup for mounting a serious legal
attack on community activist Bob Carnegie in relation
to his role in the 9-week dispute at the Queensland
Children’s Hospital from July to October 2012;
b) believes that this legal attack is an attempt to
intimidate every community activist who may in future
wish to assist workers in obtaining justice;
c) offers its full support to Bob Carnegie;
d) publicise Bob Carnegie’s case and the demand that
Abigroup drops all the charges against him;
e) agrees to a levy of $ ___ per member and/or a
donation of $ ___ for the Bob Carnegie Defence
Campaign; and
f) calls on the Gillard Government to repeal the clauses
in the Fair Work legislation that allow employers to
take out injunctions against trade union offi cials and
community activists assisting workers during industrial
disputes.”

Send you solidarity message.
Contact the Secretary, Bob Carnegie Defence Campaign.
Mail: PO Box 298, Corinda, Queensland 4075, Australia.
Email: DefendBobCarnegie@gmail.com Phone: 0413 293101 (International: +61 413 293101)
http://www.mua.org.au/news-story/3530/
Keep in contact to build the campaign.