Horrific bullying allegations levelled at powerful union

WORK clothes urinated on and called a “f*king dog”. One female wharfie lifts the lid on one of Australia’s most powerful unions in explosive bullying allegations.

WORK clothes urinated on and called a “f*ing dog”: these are the allegations raised in Australia’s first workplace bullying case brought against a union.

Melbourne crane driver Sharon Bowker has accused the powerful Maritime Union of Australia of overseeing a reign of terror at her former workplace, with workers terrified to report abuse that centred in a female wharfie’s changing room, The Australian reports.

The shocking allegations were aired at the Fair Work Commission yesterday, in a case that is set to open up new criticism of unions’ influence and reach.

Giving evidence to the Fair Work Commission yesterday, Ms Bowker described her distress at having to walk away from the job she loved because of alleged union sanctioned bullying at Swanson Dock.

“I’ve had my workboots and overalls urinated on. I’ve had a photo of me on my locker defaced. I’ve been called a f*king dog ... There’s a security camera outside the door, but that still doesn’t help me if there’s an incident in the change room,” she said.

“If you make a complaint about a union member or one of their mates, you’re in strife,.”

Along with her colleague Annette Coombe and supervisor Stephen Zwarts, Ms Bowker said her employer, DP World, was powerless to protect its workers against union thugs.

And she believed the bullying had only gotten worse since she went on leave and launched her case, urging serious action be taken against the MUA which had a culture of protecting perpetrators.

The four-day hearing before FWC deputy president Val Gostencnik is expected to conclude on Thursday.

It comes after the MUA was forced to reject claims it collected bribes of up to $1 million from oil and gas companies to avoid industrial action on their projects, aired last year at the trade union royal commission, which recommenced hearings today.

The MUA then denied the payments, made to the union and its training organisation, were the price of keeping industrial peace, stating that the cash was needed to address skill shortages and secure the future of seafaring jobs.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott established the royal commission last February to examine allegations of slush funds run by Australia’s biggest unions.

The commissioner will deliver a final report to the Governor-general by the end of this year.

Read more in The Australian.

Originally published as Horrific bullying allegations levelled at powerful union