The Final report into the trade unions has been handed down, and it is clear that there has been widespread and deep seated misconduct and corruption, and that there is need for a regulator to oversea the unions along the lines of the BCC which the ALP and Greens have been blocking.

From the Australian:

"Trade union Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon has laid bare a roll-call of “louts, thugs, bullies, thieves, perjurers, those who threaten violence, errant fiduciaries and organisers of boycotts” in his findings on the two-year inquiry into union corruption.

In the scathing final report, which details examples of “widespread” and “deep-seated” misconduct within the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, the Australian Workers Union, the Transport Workers Union, the Health Services Union and the National Union of Workers, Mr Heydon called for an all-powerful “regulator” with the power to shut down unions and employer groups.

He refers former trade union boss turned Victorian MP Cesar Melhem to Victorian prosecutors for consideration of possible corruption and false accounting charges.

Former Health Services Union secretary Kathy Jackson is also referred to prosecutors to consider whether she should be charged for obtaining property and financial advantage by deception.Trade union Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon has laid bare a roll-call of “louts, thugs, bullies, thieves, perjurers, those who threaten violence, errant fiduciaries and organisers of boycotts” in his findings on the two-year inquiry into union corruption."

Dear SM,

Do levels of corruption exist in all organisations?

Frankly, I don't know.

It seems where power and money are involved the
temptation exists.

Which is a pity. Hopefully the Royal Commission will
clean things up with possibly the help of the
unions themselves. Surely they must realise that
their reputation has taken a battering - and trust
(as with the Church) needs to be re-instated.

What now seems to be the standard procedure is for employers to pay
the unions an agreed amount each year for invoiced services.
Then as we have seen with the HSU very loose overseeing of expenditures
is par for the course.
So rip off the members by pay reductions & the amount is obtained by
false invoicing and nudge nudge wink wink say no more and off to the
brothel & the dress shops and jewelers all on the credit card.

In one case set up a printing business for the wife and charge like a
wounded bull.

I find it hard to believe that the word did not get around most unions
that this was the way to rip off the members.
Then to make sure no one looked too close select the most compliant
union employees to be members of parliament and if the other party
made noises, just yell political witch hunt very loudly.

Dear Bazz,

Let's hope that the Royal Commission will
correct this misuse.

Any corrupt union organisation or member
should pay the full penalty - according to the
law.

What drives me mad is that somehow the government will use the logic that the unions are full of corruption, therefore we should abolish penalty rates.
And the sheeples will say OK.

Foxy, from what I have read the unions are not governed by law regarding
accounting, trading while insolvent, hidden commissions etc.
The governance should be similar to what is required of companies.
Some of the companies should be up for prosecution because they must
have known that the invoicing was fraudulent.
They paid out on invoices for services that were never supplied.

Both ends of these dodgie transactions should be criminal offenses.