FRAUD – AUSTRALIA

ASIC slaps ex-Deutsche trader with lifetime ban for $50m fraud

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 30-Sep-16

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has imposed a lifetime ban on providing financial services on former Deutsche Bank trader Andrew Donaldson. ASIC found that Donaldson made "false entries" in order to cover his losses in 2013 and 2014. He was at that time employed as a foreign exchange options and futures trader at the bank.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, ABBEY LIFE, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF JUSTICE

Jackson silent as 70 charges laid bare

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Original article by Pia Akerman
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 20-Sep-16

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court has imposed strict bail conditions on the Health Services Union’s former national secretary, Kathy Jackson. She will return to court for a committal hearing in January 2017, when she will face 70 charges of fraud and theft relating to the unauthorised use of the union’s funds. Amongst other things, Jackson is accused of transferring union funds to her personal bank account and paying for personal expenses with the union’s credit cards. Jackson could face up to 10 years in jail if she is convicted.

CORPORATES
HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE MAGISTRATES’ COURT, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, LAWSONS AUCTIONEERS AND VALUERS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

7-Eleven workers’ $270,000 pay-day

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Original article by Sarah Danckert
The Age – Page: 23 : 15-Feb-16

The Fels Wage Fairness Panel has so far recovered more than $A2m in unpaid wages for current and past employees who were victims of the 7-Eleven wage exploitation scandal. One former employee of the convenience store chain has been awarded $A33,000 in back-pay. Giri Sivaraman of law firm Maurice notes that one former 7-Eleven employee is owed about $A270,000 in back-pay.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, BOSEN PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

7–Eleven appoints fraud investigator

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Original article by Patrick Hatch
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 3-Feb-16

Australian convenience store chain 7-Eleven has hired an unnamed former police detective with expertise in fraud and economic crime in the wake of the wage exploitation scandal. The ex-police officer will investigate allegations of fraud and breaches of workplace laws at 7-Eleven stores. The Fair Work Ombudsman has also taken legal action against some franchisees, while the Fels Wage Fairness Panel has been established to compensate employees who have been underpaid.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Takeaways from 7-Eleven wage fraud inquiry must stop the rot

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Original article by Adele Ferguson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 40 : 25-Jan-16

The wage exploitation scandal has embroiled a number of franchise-based companies, including 7-Eleven, United Petroleum, Subway, Pizza Hut and Baker’s Delight. With a Senate inquiry due to release its recommendations in February 2016, the Australian Government should action to address the issue prior to the federal election. A range of reforms are needed, including changes to industrial relations laws, ensuring that financial penalties for wage fraud are sufficient to deter the practice, and increasing the powers of the Fair Work Ombudsman.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, UNITED PETROLEUM PTY LTD, SUBWAY SANDWICHES PTY LTD, PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, BAKER’S DELIGHT HOLDINGS LIMITED, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, NANDO’S AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, EAGLE BOYS DIAL A PIZZA AUST PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, MAI PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Deal sought for NUW ‘disaster’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 16-Nov-15

Tim Kennedy, the national secretary of the National Union of Workers, has indicated that the union’s national body favours joint control of its troubled New South Wales branch rather than a full takeover. The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption has heard allegations of widespread fraud at the state branch of the union, including misuse of union credit cards. Former state secretary Derrick Belan, his brother and his niece have been implicated in the scandal.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, ACTU

7-Eleven operators to face court amid wage scandal

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Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert
The Age – Page: 3 : 12-Oct-15

The Fair Work Ombudsman will prosecute Yiran Gu and Haiyao Xu over allegations that they underpaid staff at a 7-Eleven store in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville. They potentially face fines of up to $10,200 for every breach of workplace laws, while their private company could be fined up to $A51,000 for each offence. The Parkville store and 19 other 7-Eleven outlets were raided by the FWO in September 2014. Gu and Xu are also accused of falsifying payroll records.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, HIYI PTY LTD

Visa amnesty needed for all victims

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Original article by Stephen Clibborn
The Age – Page: 44 : 9-Sep-15

The Australian Government is said to be considering providing an amnesty to foreign students who have been allegedly cheated out of wages by 7-Eleven. While the Government should grant an amnesty to international students, it also needs to take action on the exploitation of all foreign workers by dodgy employers. Data from the Fair Work Ombudsman shows that migrant workers on temporary visas are also being underpaid by employers in many sectors of the economy. Any amnesty should apply to all of these employees.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

7-Eleven head office involved in wage fraud cover-up

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Original article by
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 40 : 31-Aug-15

Fair Work Commission is investigating allegations of wage fraud at franchise chain 7-Eleven. Most of the chain’s employees are students on visas. The underpayment of wages is not limited to 7-Eleven. There are 1.3 million workers in Australia on visas and they are vulnerable to wage abuses.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION