Corporate espionage: how construction firm kept tabs on its union workforce

 

It was dubbed Pluto Project -- the deal between joint-venture partners Thiess Degremont and strike-breaker Bruce Townsend.

Pluto Project's aim was simple. Infiltrate the unionised workforce at the Victorian desalination plant with Townsend's spies, gather information about the activities of employees and union tactics, and report back to the management of Thiess Degremont.

This is reflected in documents seen by The Australian and in interviews with informants who knew of the secret operation. However, Thiess's chief executive in Australia, Neville Power, told The Australian yesterday that the hiring of Townsend was directed at minimising security problems, including on-site theft, some drug taking and inadequate reference checking of new employees.

Click here to read the full story in theaustralian.com.au.

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