Fraudulent use of union funds unearthed

There she was, a union official crying in front of the magistrate saying she was so sorry for using union funds to have her hair done.

She was also sorry for having paid for a holiday caravan with union funds. But she wasn’t on her own in this exposure of what Union officials used member’s monies to pay for personal items.

One guy had half a million racked up on the union’s American Express card for things like dating club introductions and tattoos. The Royal Commission into Trade Unions is winding up with the magistrate’s findings to be released by the end of this year. The hearings have unearthed the fraudulent use of member’s funds over many years.

They are deemed to be non-profit organisations working for the benefit of members, thus paying no tax. The joke is on the government and sadly on the union members who contribute. Hopefully there will be big changes once the report is made public.

Email, Nov 4, 2015
Rod Fountain, Erina