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Issue No. 146 | 26 July 2002 |
Crean-ite Is Not A Dirty Word
Interview: Trans Tasman Cole-Watch: The Full Story Unions: The Right To A Life Bad Boss: Phoenix Rising Politics: The Virtuous State International: The Champions History: Mandatory Mums Corporate: Network Governance Review: Navigating The Doublespeak Satire: Hector The Galah Found Hiding Poetry: Eight Days a Week
League to Blow Whistle on Sweat Shops Rados Shames Ruddock Into Action Virgin Contracts Spark Wage Rage Big Tobacco Turns to Union-Busting Athens Workers Pay Ultimate Price Cranes At Risk in �August Winds� Abbott�s Savings To Cost Workers
The Soapbox The Locker Room Postcard Week in Review Bosswatch
Kangaroo Court Horrifies Reader Site Reunites Redundant Workers Carr Off Course The Banners of Greed Join The Party Shocks and Stares
Labor Council of NSW |
Bad Boss Phoenix Rising
Lombardo and Sanna are phoenixers, according to the CFMEU, operators who open and close down building companies at the cost of workers, suppliers, state and federal governments. Now don't go getting surprised by their Royal Commission appearances. They weren't called so their own practises could be examined but because both were more than happy to pay out on a union trying to monitor their activities. Evidence revealed that the pair had significant lists of company scalps under their belts. Sanna was well on his way to double figures but he was pipped because of the real life story testified to by one of Lombardo's victims. Indian immigrant, Mohammad Ali, started his Australian working life with job experience at Ricon Constructions, one of the entities in which Lombardo was a director. He graduated to full time work as an estimator and was made up when, in 1996, Lombardo and a fellow director asked him to take a directorship. It is worth noting, at this point, that Lombardo conceded he was barred from being a company director in the same year. Ali was told that being made a director was an honour and a sign of respect, so he accepted the position. "After this, I continued to perform my duties as an estimator for the company, Hitex Concrete Pty Ltd, just as I had peformed such duties before, except that I was asked to sign cheques for the company from time to time by the people in accounts, and I did so. My salary remained unchanged," Ali said in a statutory declaration. He said that Lombardo and others met from time to time at the company's premises but he was not invited to attend these meetings. As per instructions, he said, he took any letters or documents addressed to his home to the company. In September, 1998, Lombardo and a partner asked him to become a director of another company, Hitex Concrete Australia Ltd, and again he agreed. In December of that year he was informed that the first company had gone into liquidation and, two months later, Hitex Concrete Australia went the same way. Ali ceased working with Lombardo and partners and accepted alternative employment. On August 6, 1999, Ali was personally served with a bankruptcy notice. He said he tried to contact those who had been involved with Hitex companies several times but when he hadn't heard back, after a fortnight, sought legal representation on the advice of his new employer. "My solicitor has now explained to me that the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation had obtained a judgement against me in the nature of a penalty in an amount equal to the unapid amount of Hitex Concrete Pty Ltd's group tax liability," he said. "Until I was told this, I had no understanding of the circumstances in which the judgement had been entered against me, or my rights to defend the matter." Ali was not available to comment on Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Abbott's contention, that a bad boss was better than no boss. While CFMEU officials say Lombardo is not typical of industry employers neither, they insist, is he unique. This point was made by two sub-contractors who insisted on Royal Commission hearings so they could tell their stories of being left high and dry by different operators who shut down, cancelled their obligations, then re-appeared, leaving honest operators in the lurch. Lombardo appeared at the Commission as a supervisor for TCB Concreters. Ali said Lombardo had told him that TCB was, in reality, his company. When they work out who is actually in control, we'll know who to send the Tony nomination to.
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