Noel Washington and the ABCC

For as long as he can remember, he has always hated bullies. And because of that he has always spoken out or stood up against those with power who intimidate or harass people. He has done it, even at the risk of losing his job. In 1990, as an organiser with the former Federated Ironworkers Union, he couldn’t stomach a leadership that sold workers short by doing deals that that were of no benefit to them. He ran on a ticket with others against the leadership in an election and lost his job.

This time he risks losing his freedom, but the way Noel Washington sees it, he has no choice.
Noel faces jail as he has been charged by the Department of Public Prosecutions and is set to appear in the Magistrates Court in August. The charge is for refusing to attend an interview with the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) – an organization that was set up by the Howard government to harass, intimidate and bully workers and their unions in the construction industry.

As a union official for twenty seven years, Noel is no stranger to being in the witness box and being cross examined by the best of them. He’s not afraid of being questioned by the ABCC and that’s not why he hasn’t turned up, despite three letters requesting him to do so.

“The ABCC are the biggest bullies I’ve ever dealt with,” Noel says. “The laws they have at their disposal have no place in a so called democratic society like Australia and they use those laws freely to go after ordinary workers."

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