AWU Corruption in 1999 Encourages Retaliation in 2015

AWU Corruption in 1999 Encourages Retaliation in 2015
Gary Looney 6 Feb 2015 Page 1 of 11
Gary Looney <garylooney@gmail.com>
AWU Corruption in 1999 Encourages Retaliation in 2015 - Gary Looney - 6 Feb

2015
1 message
Gary Looney <garylooney@gmail.com>
Fri, Feb 6, 2015 at 11:31 AM
To: bill.shorten.mp@aph.gov.au, members@nat.awu.net.au, daniel.walton@nat.awu.net.au, secretary@awu.org.au,
rcollison@awu-nsw.asn.au, mail@unionsnsw.org.au, A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au, nicklin@parliament.qld.gov.au,
reception@opposition.qld.gov.au
Hello Labor and Union contacts
My name is Gary Looney and I have lived in Menindee, NSW most of my life.
I write to you because of something that happened 15 years ago which has changed my life for the worse ever
since.
In 1999 I worked for Tandou cotton chipping on their dry lake, outside Menindee where Tandou has grown
Cotton for many years.
I stood up for workers who were intimidated by the company and threatened with the sack if they complained,
which is thoroughly detailed in the attached document: AWU-Corruption-in-1999-Encourages-Retaliation-in2015.pdf
AWU were at the farm with no regard for workers rights, the Shearers and Rural Workers Union were their trying
to poach members and make trouble. Police arrived to remove The Shearers and Rural Workers Union from the
farm who then made an official complaint against police.
Raid in Briefly: Police, Humanservices/Centrelink and Immigration raided the property very early in the morning
forcing people to a lawn area near the office. Locals were warned on phone by Contractor John Nation not to leave
Menindee, others on the farm got notice and ran. Still many were caught, all of which voted on a reduction in
workers rights as AWU members.
The Company Tandou, Police and Contractor are strongly supported by Unions, also many professionals in
Centrelink and Health care including the Contractors Wife who is a Nurse getting work at the Menindee Nursing
Service, and other local beneficiary in Services, labor and Shearers.
I was blacklisted by Union/Tandou and sent to hospital in ambulance after assault by Union representative. No
one would employ me, locals shunned me and my family relationship was destroyed.
Public/Government Servants supportive of Unions have used every opportunity to destroy me ever since, this has got
out of hand and can no longer be addressed on an individual level. Because my complaints have fallen on deaf ears it
has turned into a free for all. Tandou has been supported by both political parties for very different reasons.
I have a discrimination complaint with the AHRC but the architects of the damage are faceless through
opportunistic Government position. If anybody gives a shit I suggest you start a conversation with the
Liberals to resolve some of the problems I have raised with the Prime Minister.
I have lived here for over 40 years and worked very hard for the little I have, known as one of the hardest workers
in my area and Labor/AWU has destroyed my life to cover-up corruption and maintain power.
If nothing happens to resolve the situation there is going to be a blood bath and given I have had no Government
services and power was due for disconnection 3 weeks ago, I have nothing to lose.
Enough
Gary Looney
(Not receiving Australia Post Mail, no phone)
Replies to: garylooney@gmail.com
AWU-Corruption-in-1999-Encourages-Retaliation-in-2015.pdf
3746K
Government from 5 March 1983, ALP: Bob Hawke replaced by Paul Keating from 13 March 1993
Tandou Lake Farm/owner Bob Smith was supported by relation Neville Wran, on opening plaque.
Darren Cameron (AWU) NSW Labor Candidate for Albury 1995
Government from 2 March 1996 was John Howard Liberal/National
Stephen Roach, general secretary of the Shearers' and Rural Workers Union - 1998
Darren Cameron (AWU Organiser) working with New Zealand Shearers and Employers 1998
I worked as Cotton chipper on Tandou Farm 1999 - 2000 Season. Tandou is a flat Lake bed reaching
hotter temperature than Menindee which holds a NSW January record of 49.7 Degree Celsius, 1939.
Tandou Management & Permanents, one of which was a Contract Partner for Cotton Chipping were
implicit and or aware of conditions outlined by myself and others, referring to the chippers as dogs.
I couldnt stand by and watch as workers dropped to the Ground unconscious without water, breaks
or shade and supervisors demanded we leave them, walk over and continue chipping or be sacked.
A plane sprayed chippers with Endosulfan, management demanded they wash before denying it.
It still makes me sick to think about it, what type of human ignores, or cover-up for power or money.
Darren Cameron was (Mine Safety Council member) with Eddie Obeid 1999
Darren Cameron (AWU Organiser) for Tandou Cotton 1999 I supplied docs & explained conditions!
John Morgan National Secretary for Shearers & Rural Workers Union Tandou dispute 1999
I gave Unions and Governments details of conditions; I got assaulted/hospitalised and blacklisted.
I sent letters to every Politian and union office I could find details for, and not one response.
Where Shearing's Cheap And Men Are Thirsty - Sydney Morning Herald Monday June 1, 1998
Quote: "It's a funny old game," says the general secretary of the Shearers' and Rural Workers Union,
Mr Stephen Roach. "Conditions remain much the same as they were at the turn of the century. :End
Quote
Quote: Wagga Wagga AWU organiser Mr Darren Cameron has the hapless task of attempting to
enforce minimum shed standards on the New Zealand teams and the "cockies" employing them.
"I take a few floggings," he said. "The New Zealand crews resent AWU interference. They are
prepared to work outside the rules established over generations - clean eating areas, reasonable
toilet facilities, washing amenities, refrigeration, clean drinking water and workplace safety. :End
Quote
To: Labor and Unions
The AWU/Tandou Blacklisting took away my rights to a job and destroyed my life because I could
not be corrupted and represented genuine workers done the job Unions claim to be doing.
In the last two years I have been assaulted and had several attempts made on my life by Labor and
Union protectionist 15 Years after the event. Labor and Union Supporters are still opportunistically
damaging my life through Government Servants and position of power for doing the right thing.
For those who would try and claim Im prejudice: If I travelled to another country without the
correct papers for work and needed food, I would hope they might give me a job as we would.
What I wouldnt do is illegally sign up as member of a foreign Work Union & vote to lower pay rate.
Labor and Unions no longer represent workers but their own power and corruption, just faceless
common crims. Enough: I dont care how. Time Labor & Unions make good, right their wrong to me
1999
Dear Mr Greg Combet
Enclosed are letters I have sent to the AWU because the chippers at Tandou have been treated
unfairly for years and this year with the AWU things have not changed, the AWU has not answered
my concerns.
John Nation (Menindee Rural Supplies) contractor for employment at Tandou has worked as an
employee at Tandou for years, walked down cotton rows on a Friday afternoon while we were
chipping with a list of worker who had not joined the AWU, one by one asking them to sign up as
they worked and chipped weeds.
I was one he asked to sign something I knew nothing about, when I asked John what happens if I
dont sign, he said I would be paid less than other workers and not allowed to work on weekends.
I said that is Blackmail.
When I picked up my pay that afternoon I found that AWU fees had been taken out even though I
had not joined.
All happenings between the AWU and Tandou have been corrupt and unfair.
I hope you read all the information given to you carefully, its not all black and white but with
consideration for these points and their knock on effects you will find it all to be relevant.
This is not my job to bring these points forward but there seems to be few people that feel
unthreatened to do it, including me sometimes.
To do this I have worked in unfair conditions with below award rate pay and spent a lot of my own
money to follow it through.
Try asking the AWU to fax the letters I sent them to you, or tell you what was in them.
I hope you can help.
Yours Sincerely
Gary Looney
To Centre Link (Broken Hill office) from Gary Looney (Menindee)
12 August 2009
Page 1 of 2
Many Menindee residents, including me were employed during the picking seasons under the ownership
of Stan Andriski , Cotrel or Eric Biggs Grape Growers with virtually no illegal immigrants.
Tandou started to grow more cotton & employed chippers using a contractor to separate liability, in
order to maintain or entrap workers. Illegal immigrants and those being also on benefit were welcomed!
There was a worker living in a bare van body with broken windows dumped behind a shed for example,
as long as you were there they did not care. Young workers travelling the country side or also receiving
benefit did not care, working beside illegal immigrants. Workers were often forced to work over 12
hours a day for 6 and 7 days a week, to work with inadequate water and were paid less than the award,
also without full penalty rates. Fuel was sold to workers owning and having to use their own cars to get
the work force to/from the fields, around the 25km long lake bed. Conditions were investigated & found
to be well below standards in regards to camp health standards and charges including rent regardless of
whether you lived under a tarp. Working conditions failed health & safety standards with illegal
omission of work breaks, lack of shelter and inadequate water.
Alcohol, Privately slaughtered meat, food goods and petrol were sold illegally and helped to entrap
workers. Almost the whole chipping crew were sprayed with the Chemical Endosolfin by spray plane one
day, the Company basically denied it & no EPA action was taken on workers complaints of the event.
Tandou and the Australian workers union negotiated privately and pushed a purposed new pay rate to
the work force, with virtually no employee notice.
I had taken the day off and returned to find employees had participated in a vote organized by the AWU
and Tandou resulting in a rate and penalty change with net reduction of award and penalty entitlement.
I collected pay sheets representing a single worker for the whole season and summed the total payment
Tandou was making to the worker. I then calculated the total amount payable to the same worker for
the same hours using the previously unpaid award rate over the whole season.
Other factors for itinerant workers were also outlined for consideration of a fair compromise!
The contractor refused to help when I asked to meet and talk with the union official. Lake workers told
me of his location on the lake so I walked kms and finally tracked him down, explaining he cannot allow
illegal workers to vote on our wage rate and put forward my pay sheet accumulated figures.
A Shearers union had been parked just outside the chippers camp a few times during the season and told
me I should join them and provide them with the pay sheets, the discussion turned to the union using
intimidation and pressuring me to join!
I explained that changes need to be made on fact and honesty, which both unions were failing to
demonstrate. The fact that I wanted to forward my experience and view personally and refused to join
them was seen as not acceptable, there was abuse direct towards me from this union as I walked away.
When I went back to Menindee a member of the Shearers union king hit me which resulted in
hospitalization and a serious neck injury. I tried to continue working whilst in a lot of pain and was asked
politely to leave by the contractor!
You will find or remember that Social security along with police and immigration raided Tandou Lake
Chippers Camp and dragged us all out of bed to a grassy area near the Contractors office, some of the
illegal immigrants and workers receiving benefit were caught.
During this season I had sent hundreds of letters to Government and unions with full documentation of
events. When immigration released the information of illegal workers publically I again forward my
documentation to Government and unions with this additional supporting information. Cotton Chippers
rates were changed again with a base rate increase traded for changes to the penalty rates, resulting in a
fairer compromise which became the practice of similar itinerant employment sectors today!
Past Union & ongoing Government policy has involved reduction of liability at all costs, unqualified
promotion for failure & stuff the people, as experience demonstrates. Not much different to Telstras!
To Centre Link (Broken Hill office) from Gary Looney (Menindee)
12 August 2009
Page 2 of 2
Word around was that I was black listed by Tandou and no one should employ me, a Greek family with
grapes in Menindee always employed my family as we were respected as good workers and friends.
I was latter told by this Greek family that they were given the message not to employ me, and explained
that although it had made them uncomfortable I would always be welcome. This family later sold their
grape property to Table Grape Growers.
TGG employed me without actually knowing they had done so when using a contractor, I was employed
to work with the grapes and had to go to a pre work initiation were pictures were used rather than
talking, because a large number of the employees could not speak English. Our contractor only
employed legal Australians for a government contracted employment network agency and the whole 26
or more of us Australians and contractor were sacked by TGG, I helped some that traveled from places
like Queensland for this work, to try and get them money so they could drive home.
There is mixed opinion in the Menindee community in regards to my actions and me, many see me as a
traitor to our community and a risk to business that the work force provides in areas such as poker
machine use during the season for example. I was verbally assaulted recently by an employer who was
acting like I had reported or threatened to report them to immigration or something.
Previously I was employed by Boulevard Motel in Mildura which was initiated and organized through
Mildura social security were the Employer is paid part of your wage for a set period by Government.
Whilst employed the employer continued to ask me to carry out or help him carry out illegal tasks,
including rewiring of room heaters connected directly to the fuse box with heavy wall cabling, of which I
refused.
He also directed me to rotate the mattresses as the bottom floor got more use, this involved carrying
each double bed mattress from the above rooms downstairs to the lower rooms, and the bellow
mattresses upstairs! My back was injured trying to carry one of these mattresses upstairs and my
employer told me that official documentation would not be required, that he would provide medical
treatment. I was in a bit of pain and just wanted to get treatment so went to see the assumed specialist
who turned out to be more like the family massager, not a doctor!
It became obvious this injury would not go away. I went to social security & explained what had
happened, I could not work properly with the injury and this employer was only abusing me and the
system so I requested severance pay.
Social Security offered no assistance in regards to the employer legality or actions they would take in this
matter, only assurance that I would be eligible for benefit due to the injury sustained! Documentation
was made by Mildura social security at the time as it was later found when I discussed this mater in the
Broken Hill centre link office.
Were in this chain of events would your office or another relevant Government office acknowledge
such events and do things differently? Make the types of changes that I actively fought to make!
If I Put my back in the wrong position under weight, it can result in total disability which has seen me
stuck at home for more than a day, unable to move or contact help with no communication system.
Attacks similar to asthma have also affected me. I realized some time back that some physical jobs may
not be possible for me going forward and have worked towards learning Computer based technology
and internet based business as a sustainable alternative. My internet connection under the Governments
Australian Broadband Guarantee was recently disconnected, leaving me in a position where I would have
less flexibility in usage time and pay considerably more to connect with a replacement provider. I want
the connection restored with reliable & affordable provider of a large plan
Past Union & ongoing Government policy has involved reduction of liability at all costs, unqualified
promotion for failure & stuff the people, as experience demonstrates. Not much different to Telstras!
Gary Looney
Page 10 of 11
@Troy_Fernandez Represents Transport Union. After this trucks Stopped to Dropped Dust at my Parents Caravan Park.
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RETWEETS
FAVORITES
15
4:07 PM - 23 Dec 2012
Gary Robert Looney @garyrlooney 23 Dec 2012

@AWUnion Experience with Australia Workers Union. AWU in workplace
corruption docs.google.com/file/d/0B__CBj
HACSU @hacsu 23 Dec 2012

@AWUnion I've read books on corp. psychopaths. fascinating but depressing
the only way to deal with them is let them go to another comp
Thomas O'Connor @toconnor 24 Dec 2012

Hey @AWUnion @PaulEErickson Do you think Newstart should rise? Check out
our blog on this today: tinyurl.com/cs6wgen.
Troy Fernandez @Troy_Fernandez 27 Dec 2012

@garyrlooney what a load of nonsense. @awunion
Troy Fernandez @Troy_Fernandez 27 Dec 2012

@garyrlooney ur state of mind seems to suit ur tag. r u one of those guys that
thinks fluoride in the water is mind control too? @awunion
Experience with Australia Workers Union

5 December 2010
I have lived in Menindee from 8 years old, traveled and worked around Australia employed and valued
in many fields including Engineering using plasma cutter, welding, press, Gallatin and bending
machines. Agriculture, roofing, mines camp construction from concrete to plumbing, Installing solar
traffic monitoring devices, landscape gardening, making custom packaging for the export of Australian
goods, all employers except maybe a fumigation company demonstrated very good morals.
I have always thought outside my own personal interests and district, believed in equality of
information, communications and means of access as fundamental democratic rights, to be informed
and have a say which is not based on wealth, power, assumed credibility or social standing.
Some years back I worked at Tandou Cotton farm chipping the weeds from cotton, conditions were
very bad with lack of drinking water, no first aid kit or qualified person, no water to wash chemicals
from hands before eating, no shade, missed or no breaks with up to 14 hour days. Workers collapsed in
the field, we were told to leave them on the ground and keep working or be sacked. We were not being
paid the correct rate or overtime and were charged for company fuel to drive our selfs and others to
work in our own cars, we were charged rent for windowless caravans or a car chassis or a tarp between
trees, the camp did not meet any health and safety standards, the camp sold home slaughtered
products, alcohol and cigarettes. The farm Arial sprayed the chippers with Endosulfan insecticide and
told the workers to wash thoroughly before denying it happened. The farm employed workers on
unemployment benefit and illegal immigrants, demonstrating a means of controlling the work force.
Over a period when I had returned home, the Australian Workers Union held a meeting with employees
including illegal workers to change the rate of pay to be less than the award rate, also removing almost
all penalty rates. The justification given by the AWU was that the workers would have to accept this to
keep their job. Employees including illegal immigrants and those on benefit voted in a reduction of the
award rate and penalties effectively leaving the workers worse off through an illegal process with
illegitimate union members paying AWU union fees and voting to change wages.
When I returned to work I demanded to see the Union official who was still on the farm and efforts
were made by the contract employment company and Tandou to prevent me, so I walked and
eventually found the AWU official, I explained that what he had done was not only immoral but illegal
and the mythology used for calculating the flat rate was unjust, I shared my calculations on how a fair
rate of pay could be achieved and what my figures were based on.
I had put my own season of wage sheets with hours worked together, calculated my total income with
award rates and penalties to find the total earned in dollars than divided this by total hours worked in
the season, putting this figure forward as a starting point. I included calculations of costs that would not
be incurred by permanent employees and suggested legal employees/union members might be willing
to accept a small reduction of this figure in a flat rate. Needless to say the AWU official was not willing
to accept any mistake or wrong doing or interested in my figures or what I had to say.
At this stage I was sending all my documentation to every AWU office and the Australian Government, I
continued sending documentation of conditions, illegal immoral union and company action over several
years. Health authorities and OHS forced changes upon the company, Police, immigration and Social
Security raided the farm, and a wage change took place very similar to my suggestions, many benefited.
I believe the Union official got a promotion and I got blacklisted from every farm in Menindee by
Tandou. Several farmers and friends of our family had the decency to stand by me and inform me of the
black listing, one of which later sold up and left our district. I continue to act and demonstrate genuine
equality, something Governments, Unions and some corporate business can only talk about.

AWU Corruption in 1999 Encourages Retaliation in 2015

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Gary Looney 6 Feb 2015 Page 1 of 11

Gary Looney <garylooney@gmail.com>