‘Bullying and harassment’: WorkSafe Victoria probes TWU
WorkSafe inspectors to probe complaints of ugly workplace culture in abolished union.
Victoria’s workplace watchdog has launched an inquiry into claims of bullying and harassment at the scandal-plagued Transport Workers Union.
The Australian can reveal WorkSafe Victoria is probing a complaint from a former staff member and is expected to visit the Port Melbourne office and also grill former senior managers about the claims.
WorkSafe confirmed on Thursday it had opened an inquiry into the union which could trigger a full-blown investigation into the union culture and management and eventually lead to prosecutions.
“WorkSafe has received a complaint and inspectors are considering the matters raised to determine whether further action is necessary,” a WorkSafe spokesman said.
If WorkSafe orders a comprehensive investigation it has a range of powers at its disposal including taking enforcement action if inspectors detect an immediate risk to health and safety. The watchdog can also issue improvement or prohibition notices and launch a prosecution.
A workplace investigation would be expected to trigger fresh scrutiny about the conduct of the TWU’s former leadership, including ex-state secretary and Victorian ALP powerbroker Mem Suleyman.
The TWU’s national leadership was forced to move swiftly last month to abolish the union’s Victorian division in the aftermath of the civil war that split the local branch.
On August 9, Victorian officials moved to suspend Mr Suleyman after taking internal action against him alleging he had sexually harassed a female staff member and bullied other officials.
But as revealed this week by The Australian, former judge Frank Marks, who was called in by national leaders to investigate the claims, comprehensively cleared Mr Suleyman of the sexual harassment claims and was highly critical of local officials for embarking on a “flawed” process.
The Marks report found Mr Suleyman’s internal rivals conspired to “manufacture” false allegations in a plot to “neck” and “destroy” him.
The woman told Mr Marks she had never lodged a complaint against Mr Suleyman and first learned of the allegation while holidaying overseas when she took a conference call around 6am from a number of union officials, during which one said “we’ve necked him, he is gone, we’ve necked him”.
Legal advice sent to TWU national president Tim Dawson, dated September 2, revealed the Marks report strongly criticised several union officials. “(They) conspired to fashion allegations against Mr Suleyman … the process by which the charges were laid, and Mr Suleyman was suspended, were found by Mr Marks to be procedurally flawed,” the legal advice states.
But former union officials believe the investigation was too limited and did not review some significant issues within the union. Mr Marks said in his report that he had not investigated complaints of bullying against Mr Suleyman. But a WorkSafe investigation could breathe fresh life into the allegations.
The Australian also reported this week that a TWU official told Mr Marks one of the reasons they moved against Suleyman was the union was too focused on playing politics rather than looking after its members.
“There will be no politics in the union and politicians will only be used to lobby for union purposes,” the official said, referring to the prospect of a different official replacing Mr Suleyman.
“I have been upset with the union involvement in politics under Mem and the person before him. Mem had to go and the branch is happy he has gone.”
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