Sunday, September 23, 2007

The Endemic Corruption inside the NSW Transport Workers Union

The Endemic Corruption inside the NSW Transport Workers Union


NSW ICAC Submission's items such as The Transport Workers Union and its failure to represent Taxi Driver Interests, seriously faulty The Key Issue of Fare Rises & Pay-in Increases & the Role of the Industrial Commission and The Industrial Commission and the $40 a day pay-in rise (Sept 96) may alert you the kind of union leadership who have been selling out their own members all the time and getting away with murder!


Remember Former TWU boss Steve Hutchins became a NSW Senator and President of the Labor Party after selling out taxi drivers in front of CC Connor of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission despite my valid objection. To your surprise labor lawyer Adam Hatcher became a barrister and found an expensive chamber too after this sell out.


Faruque Ahmed of the Dear members of Parliament or any other media outlets
Monday, September 24, 2007



TWU fund to undergo independent audit


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September 23, 2007 - 5:39PM


A Transport Workers Union (TWU) 'training fund' will be scrutinised by an independent auditor amid allegations the union sold out its workers for millions of dollars in secret kickbacks.

TWU rank-on-file members are furious that one of the union's deals with a labour hire firm led to pay cuts of about 30 per cent, the Nine Network has reported.

Members also claim a separate, unregistered contract has allowed the company to make substantial payments into the union's Training, Education and Industrial Rights fund.

The federal government has been quick to seize on the claims.

Prime Minister John Howard said the union had been caught out in a conspiracy with companies to rob workers of their entitlements.

"The union itself has denied benefits for workers, and I think (Opposition Leader Kevin) Rudd has to answer some questions about this because the TWU is a major donor to the Australian Labor Party," Mr Howard said.

Federal Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey weighed in soon after, promising a government investigation to get to the bottom of the claims.
Mr Hockey said there could be tax and corporations law breaches involved with the scam, the money from which is used to employ Labor staffers.

"The secret fund made up of dirty money is going straight into the coffers of the Labor Party," Mr Hockey said.

"According to allegations made today, this fund is being well oiled by unions negotiating for lower pay for workers."

Federal Deputy Opposition Leader Julia Gillard said any allegations of misused funds should be investigated.

"I haven't seen the story but if there are allegations there of any abuse of funds then they should be investigated," she told the Nine Network.

"In any walk of life, it doesn't matter if someone is a butcher, baker or candlestick maker, if there is some suggestion that funds haven't been appropriately used, then that should be investigated."

The TWU, which insisted that payments into the fund were legitimate, said the fund would be subject to an independent audit.

"Although the TWU's accounts are externally audited, as required by law, the Unions Administrative Committee has decided to take the additional step of referring all financial records and relevant documents concerning the fund to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, one of Australia's largest accounting firms, in order for the company to conduct a full and independent audit," the union said in a statement.

The union said it had raised with the company concerns that it had failed to "apply correct rates of pay to its workers".

It said it was committed to the safety and job security of transport workers nationwide.
The Nine Network reported that the union had received millions of dollars from employers into its training fund for more than a decade.

© 2007 AAP
Source: Sydney Taxi Corruption