Trainees’ class action
A WHITE Rock man has joined litigation against a telco supplying subcontractors working on NBN Co and Telstra projects in what could be the largest class action the country has seen.
Spearheaded by Shine Lawyers and financed by Litigation Lending Services, the case against Tandem (formally ISGM) will allege the company took advantage of disadvantaged and vulnerable workers, many of whom were long-term unemployed before beginning training.
Benjamin Van Vree describes a culture of bullying and unrealistic expectation during his nine-month train-
eeship. He says he was driven to breaking point and has considered suicide.
He is still $50,000 in debt to the lending agent.
“Just the pressure and not knowing how you were going to get yourself out of it,” he said. “They were such bullies … everything they did was designed to separate you from the others. They really made you feel alone and I was pretty close to pulling the pin (suicide) a few times.
“I was unemployed, on Centrelink trying to find a job and I have an 11-year-old daughter,” he said.
Special counsel with Shine
Lawyers Vicky Antzoulatos told the Cairns Post all subcontractors with ISGM from 2011 were automatically included in the class action.
“We believe that includes over 4000 workers,” she said.
“I believe they have taken advantage of these workers.”
Ms Antzoulatos said to be eligible for some apprenticeships it was a requirement that workers were indigenous, homeless or long-term unemployed.
“They had to form companies and take out loans to purchase equipment … and were put into a lot of debt before starting work,” she said.
“ISGM was contracted to engage a workforce to provide services to Telstra and the way they went about it was to set up subcontracting arrangements which the case alleges were a sham.”
A Tandem spokeswoman said the company considered the claims “misconceived”.
“We believe that our subcontractor model provides flexibility, choice and we are prepared to defend our model,” she said.