NATIONAL Union of Workers NSW secretary Wayne Meaney’s union credit card was used to pay $7740 for a box at a KISS concert.

Mr Meaney, who replaced Derrick Belan in a bid to clean up the union, also spent $4872 on the union card for his family to spend New Year’s Eve at the harbourside Shangri-La hotel and $1554 on a flight for his wife to Hong Kong.

Mr Meaney yesterday said he had paid back the Hong Kong flight and the other spending was with the ­approval of Mr Belan, who has been accused in the trade union royal commission of his own financial misappropriation over a tattoo, dating websites and other spending. Mr Belan ­denied he approved Mr Meaney’s spending.

Three other union leaders are also now embroiled in the NUW mess, with Mr Meaney yesterday confirming Rail Tram and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens was given $5000 out of the Derrick Belan slush fund, as was CEPU secretary Jim Metcher. Another union leader named as a possible beneficiary denied he received any money.

Mr Meaney said the payments were all “above board” and the money was probably used for elections. He later said: “That was from the slush fund but it was just a loan.”

When asked about the fund payment to him, Mr Claassens said “I can’t talk to you about it”, while Mr Metcher did not return calls.

The royal commission’s counsel assisting has submitted Mr Belan may have committed offences against the Crimes Act, rendering him potentially liable to criminal prosecution, but has suggested Mr Meaney may have only contravened the civil Fair Work Act.

Documents tendered to the commission, that were not brought up in cross- examination, show Mr Meaney’s credit card was used to pay $7740 on a box for the KISS concert at Allphones Arena in 2012.

“That was not organised by me,” Mr Meaney said yesterday. “If you look at the things happening in the commission, a lot of the stuff was done by Danielle (O’Brien, Mr Belan’s niece) and put on to people’s cards.”

But Mr Meaney confirmed he attended, as did “delegates”. His Facebook page has many shots of KISS and confirms his enthusiasm for the band.

Mr Meaney confirmed a $4872 credit card bill for the five-star Shangri-La Hotel was rooms purchased for New Year’s Eve as a reward for his family after his wife fought a long battle with cancer.

“She had eight years of fighting cancer. I wanted to do something special for her. I asked Derrick if I could (do) that and that was with the real intention of paying it back,” Mr Meaney said.

“And then when I went to say to Derrick I need to pay that money back, he said ... I have been through a tough time and (that spending) ... is approved.”

Asked about the flight to Hong Kong he charged to the union so his wife could attend a conference, Mr Meaney said he had paid for the flight in September and paid the money back to the union on October 29.

It is against union rules for the union to pay for their spouse to go to such overseas conferences.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/kiss-of-death-union-boss-wayne-meaneys...

He should be prosecuted for bad taste going to a kiss concert.

Don't know what this was about but it is fairly common in business to take clients or delegates to an event, most of the private boxes would have been full of companies doing the same thing.

The company I previously worked for holds a reserved box at most major stadiums, costs a truck load more than this.

Dnarever wrote on Nov 26^th, 2015 at 5:36am:


Is it normal to also use union members dues to pay for your own tattoos, dating website fees and taking the wife on holidays?

It amazes me how these people have no problem stealing from those they are supposed to represent....Throw the book at the lot of them IMO!!!

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 26^th, 2015 at 6:27am:


Is any of that relevant to what I said about corporate attendance to events ?

Dnarever wrote on Nov 26^th, 2015 at 5:36am:


Your first sentence is classic deflection . . .laugh it off.

If you don't see the difference here, let me explain.
A union collects subscriptions from its members (and extorts funds from some employers) for the purpose of furthering the industrial welfare of its members.
That does not include lavish expenditure by elected officials for their own personal enjoyment.

A business does not collect subscriptions from members for the benefit of members. It sells goods or services for the profit of the owners or shareholders as the case may be.
In the course of doing that it may employ executive staff who, as part of their reimbursement package, may enjoy benefits as discussed above. This is however sanctioned by votes of the shareholders and doesn't represent a disbursement of funds outside the scope of what is set out in agreements.

And above all, it doesn't represent a breach of trust in respect of members.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Nov 26^th, 2015 at 11:22am:


Then why did you make it the title for the topic and why is it included in the story ?

How many Tattoos did he have done, was he investigated for that ?

Doesn't come anywhere near a reasonable response DNA.