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Australian Corporations Overrun by Foreign Executives and Their Toxic FOREIGN Policies
by employee Wednesday, Aug 17 2016, 4:40am
international / prose / post

Indeed, any Australian citizen that has had occasion to legitimately complain against any local corporation is aware of a new un-Australian culture of denial, stalling, blaming the victim and consciously making every effort to avoid responsibility for policy failures and other offences against consumers, employees and the public. And so it is with major supermarket COLES -- a Wesfarmers enterprise -- which company has been and continues to be under the executive management of Brits and other foreigners for decades. Now please note, the emphasis on “foreign/er” is only to highlight the lack of knowledge and familiarity with TRADITIONAL AUSTRALIAN CULTURAL VALUES, most notably, the FAIR GO!

We have recently been supplied with comprehensive written material AND a voice recording relating to a former employee of Coles, one Luke Vlahopoulos, who was viciously vilified by a foreign manager over his disability -- the victim of this unforgiveable and totally unacceptable abuse was born with a PHYSICAL DISABILITY, complete blindness in one eye.

The incident, which involved a verbal exchange between a manager and Mr Vlahopoulos was over an as yet unproven very minor incident; apparently Mr Vlahopoulos brushed another employee with a pallet he was moving which obstructed the loading dock, which, I would add, caused no harm or injury whatsoever to anyone. Nevertheless, a Coles manager, not wearing a uniform at the time, seized the opportunity to vilely verbally abuse Mr Vlahopoulos over his disability without first inquiring whether anyone was injured or inconvenienced over the alleged incident.

This trained by Coles’ internal company protocols and ‘policies,’ hurled the most appalling abuse at a clearly disabled Mr Vlahopoulos and let loose with a despicable tirade against a person who hadn’t committed any major, or indeed, minor offence.

The Coles manager in question was heard by numerous independent witnesses, which have supplied written and signed legal testimonials, to scream, “let him do his fucking job you blind cunt!” and, “can't you see out of your right eye, are you fucking blind?” -- followed by more abuse of a similar nature. YET this manager remains in the employ of Coles and Mr Vlahopoulos was forced to resign after four months of persistent harassment in the form of repetitive ‘inquiries’ into the incident by various managers and numerous consulting HR staff, one of which, it is alleged (and provable), attempted to have witnesses alter their previously written testimonial accounts of the incident. It therefore becomes clear that Mr Vlahopoulos’ account is indeed the correct and accurate account of events.

Furthermore, numerous Coles managers, most notably the regional manager Mark Hawley, who is on literal RECORD as saying to HR member Ms Angela Jenner, that “I’m going to kill this kid, seriously,” after stating at the outset of yet another meeting browbeating Mr Vlahopoulos that, "this [meeting] is all about you, Luke.” Note, NOT about COLES and its offences and the appalling, indefensible behaviour/ABUSE by a Coles manager, but about the victim, I mean really, how much more evident could a contortion/inversion of reality be?

I would add that this meeting was the last of numerous meetings with HR and other middle management, all of which failed to distort the truth and level blame on the victim, as was apparently intended, notwithstanding that Mr Vlahopoulos, understandably, could not continue as an employee with Coles, he couldn’t take the unjust constant pressure over an inordinately long period, four months, any longer -- a situation that could have been easily resolved at store level with an apology in a week. However, legal statues of limitations allow Mr Vlahopoulos to seek justice in the courts whenever his psychological health and other factors permit.

Please see pdf docs below on the status of this appalling incident and “Vicarious Liability” from Disability Law Australia.

British immigré, Mr Hawley and numerous other Coles managerial staff involved would be wise to consider the consequences of their behaviour as reality dictates that these events are all about Coles/Wesfarmers not about the obvious victim – Coles MD, John Durkan, who had the gall to dictate terms to government, and parent company Wesfarmers have been briefed on this incident since the beginning, neither chose to intervene; hardly surprising with such disgusting and morally reprehensible tactics employed; but of course, non-intervention by executives allows for underlings to take the fall.

The question is -- as Coles’ sordid, unfair behaviour is not unique among Australian corporations -- is this type of appalling and morally reprehensible behaviour now entrenched in large Australian corporations? It seems so, as the ABC recently interviewed a politician who is pursuing large Australian BANKS on behalf of customers unjustly dealt with by the big banks, which unsurprisingly are also led by foreigners and their toxic approach to OUR culture!

Numerous very serious complaint cases against the banks have been ‘stalled’ for up to a decade – totally unacceptable; are you reading this former banker Malcolm Turnbull? However, note the behaviour of our major party politicians who constantly deflect from major issues compromising their corporate masters.

So if YOU are ever in the position to complain or seek justice from a large corporation be prepared for exactly the type of scenarios described above and then withdraw ALL support from our major parties, which kowtow to same but PRETEND to represent the people.

The outrageous Coles incident described above is one of many similar stories of injustice and borderline criminal behaviour from large corporations in Australia, which sordid corporate culture is principally due to the failings of corporate-serving governments over decades.

These gross and socially toxic behaviours are now entrenched in some large corporations, Coles in particular, and in our government, and if not dealt with immediately would result in Australia’s slavery to rogues, liars and cheats of the white-collar professional variety.

I refer to the excellent article below and quote from an interview with respected research sociologist, Diane Vaughan, who has dealt with this new problem extensively in her book:

“When it comes to organizational mistakes, misconduct, or disaster, the blame usually goes to low level workers and middle managers. Blaming them works for the organization. It deflects attention from top administrators who make major decisions about goals and resources that affect organizational culture, and falls upon workers below, [which are] affected by their actions. I call this ‘the trickle-down effect’. To show the connection between élite actions, as they affect organizations and harmful outcomes shifts our understanding of what to do about the dark side of [large] organizations.”

Once 100% Australian

The threat quoted is about 35mins in, though the entire recording is revealing of Coles' culture
Initial letter of complaint
Centre for Disability Law Australia