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Workplace Ombudsman

Emma

Con te partirò
Administrator
Oh, they could afford to pay decent wages to staff if they wanted to. They just don't want to. Hub didn't want to. Remember the bulletin describing paying decent wages as "foolishness"?

It's all about da money, honey.

But judging by the millions and millions and millions CofS blows on lawsuits and that DM is alleged to have misappropriated, yes, I rather think that if they DID want to, they could pay at least minimum wage or more plus REAL benefits packages. There's a LOT of money in the cult.

With due respect Fluffy, when was the last time you were on staff?

Take Melbourne alone...

80 staff x $700 per week gross is $56000 per week in WAGES.

If the GI EVER got to $50k there was celebrations. $80k and there was delerium.

Most businesses operate with wages as 30 - 40% of overheads (AFAIK). So to make your normal payment of rent and bills and god knows what other "things" they deduct each week, pay uplines for training bills, films etc, and then pay wages, they'd need a GI of $100k - $150k a week.

NO class V org makes that. Most never even get close in their Highest Ever week. Some make it every once in a blue moon. According to Neo, the last few weeks he was there at Melbourne Day (The best class V org in ANZO) the unit was ZERO. No pay. Zilch. No GI.

They can't afford to pay the staff wages. Period.
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
hmm.. You're probably right Fluffy.. Doesn't make the scene any prettier though. The fact that they could drive a decent bussiness and chose not to is treason. Aught to register somewhere in the minds of even the most dedicated scientologist...

:yes:

I agree! I work in private industry, always have, and I've seen people take companies from NOTHING, trouble making payroll - into multmillion dollar corporations. They're able to turn a profit yet they can pay everyone above the minimum wage and pay benefits and buy corporate real estate.

The contrast makes CofS all the more appalling in my eyes.
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
With due respect Fluffy, when was the last time you were on staff?

Take Melbourne alone...

80 staff x $700 per week gross is $56000 per week in WAGES.

If the GI EVER got to $50k there was celebrations. $80k and there was delerium.

Most businesses operate with wages as 30 - 40% of overheads (AFAIK). So to make your normal payment of rent and bills and god knows what other "things" they deduct each week, pay uplines for training bills, films etc, and then pay wages, they'd need a GI of $100k - $150k a week.

NO class V org makes that. Most never even get close in their Highest Ever week. Some make it every once in a blue moon. According to Neo, the last few weeks he was there at Melbourne Day (The best class V org in ANZO) the unit was ZERO. No pay. Zilch. No GI.

They can't afford to pay the staff wages. Period.


Orgs can't, that's right.

But the organization has lots of money. That's all I'm saying. I'm well aware of the treasury policies and Hubbard's stricture against paying staff decent wages. None of that has changed since I was on staff.

They've got it set up so they allegedly can't, but they have a lot of money, and since the cult's all about money, they ain't makin' the changes to policy to cough it up. In fact, it's gotten worse since I was in since now, I believe, an add'l 10% goes up lines earmarked for OSA.
 

asagai

Patron Meritorious
With due respect Fluffy, when was the last time you were on staff?

Take Melbourne alone...

80 staff x $700 per week gross is $56000 per week in WAGES.

If the GI EVER got to $50k there was celebrations. $80k and there was delerium.

Most businesses operate with wages as 30 - 40% of overheads (AFAIK). So to make your normal payment of rent and bills and god knows what other "things" they deduct each week, pay uplines for training bills, films etc, and then pay wages, they'd need a GI of $100k - $150k a week.

NO class V org makes that. Most never even get close in their Highest Ever week. Some make it every once in a blue moon. According to Neo, the last few weeks he was there at Melbourne Day (The best class V org in ANZO) the unit was ZERO. No pay. Zilch. No GI.

They can't afford to pay the staff wages. Period.

Oh no! We are going to cause a price hike on services! :duh:

Orgs are going to have to charge 2.5 times the current donation rates so that they can pay the staff the National Minimum Wage. That just proves what a bunch of SPs we are! :melodramatic:
 

Emma

Con te partirò
Administrator
Orgs can't, that's right.

But the organization has lots of money. That's all I'm saying. I'm well aware of the treasury policies and Hubbard's stricture against paying staff decent wages. None of that has changed since I was on staff.

They've got it set up so they allegedly can't, but they have a lot of money, and since the cult's all about money, they ain't makin' the changes to policy to cough it up. In fact, it's gotten worse since I was in since now, I believe, an add'l 10% goes up lines earmarked for OSA.

The Organisation probably could - for a little while - but they never would. It's off policy. Plus NO business will pour money into a bottomless pit indefinitely.

So if you can enforce the minimum wage rule, you'll take down Scientology.
 

Neo

Silver Meritorious Patron
I agree! I work in private industry, always have, and I've seen people take companies from NOTHING, trouble making payroll - into multmillion dollar corporations. They're able to turn a profit yet they can pay everyone above the minimum wage and pay benefits and buy corporate real estate.

The contrast makes CofS all the more appalling in my eyes.

And the way to do this is to have a product that people want to buy. Supply and demand generally dictate business pricing structures. Cut costs, increase (or decrease) prices, better marketing, whatever. Scientology doesn't operate this way. Their business model is - exploitation.
 

asagai

Patron Meritorious
The Organisation probably could - for a little while - but they never would. It's off policy. Plus NO business will pour money into a bottomless pit indefinitely.

So if you can enforce the minimum wage rule, you'll take down Scientology.

I hear that echo from Oz, way over here in the UK! I always knew the Aussies were the brightest people! :coolwink:
 

Neo

Silver Meritorious Patron
The Organisation probably could - for a little while - but they never would. It's off policy. Plus NO business will pour money into a bottomless pit indefinitely.

So if you can enforce the minimum wage rule, you'll take down Scientology.

LRH finance policy actually dictates where the money goes, and how it is split up, percentage wise. Whilst they follow policy, things will not change - unless Governments get involved.
 

byte301

Crusader
Well in the States there's a law that you have to pay overtime for anything over 40 hours a week. That's time and 1/2. Can you see the cult having to go back and pay all that overtime? It would kill em. :yes:
 

Royal Prince Xenu

Trust the Psi Corps.
In the expose on Today Tonight into child labour abuses within the Melbourne Scientology Org, a mention was made of both the Workplace Ombudsman, and the Employment Department, of the Victorian Government.

Both of these Government agencies have been contacted, regarding the above story. The ball has already begun rolling on this.

However, before I did this interview, I had personally contacted the Workplace Ombudsman, with a detailed letter of my experience as a staff member of the Church of Scientology here in Melbourne. I included a copy of the contract. This is available on the internet, I don't have a link handy, perhaps someone could help out here.

I heard back from the Workplace Ombudsman within a few days. They forwarded the contract onto their lawyers. I have been contacted since with more questions. I have forwarded copies of my tax group certificates, and examples of pay slips (I kept all of them - hey I'm a Virgo).

There were people on this board who encouraged this action by posting details. DavidM, and asagai were both instrumental in putting relevant data onto this message board that I could use to act with.

I looked into the matter, and based on my understanding of the legal definition of the terms 'employee' and 'volunteer', I decided to act.

Meaning of volunteer
There is no legal definition of ‘volunteer’ for tax purposes.

Meaning of employee
Generally, an individual is considered to be an employee if they:

■ are paid for time worked
THE ORG COULD ARGUE THAT SUCH PAY WAS A STIPEND, AND THAT IT WAS PRODUCT BASED RATHER THAN TIME BASED (OOPS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WAGES, THAT MEANS A SALARY)

■ receive paid leave (for example, sick, annual or recreation,or long service leave)
WHEN DID THAT EVER HAPPEN?

■ are not responsible for providing the materials or equipment required to do their job
APART FROM OFFICIAL PAPERS (ROUTING FORMS, LETTER HEAD) MOST PEOPLE HAD TO SUPPLY THEIR OWN PENS AND NOT PAPER. MANY STAFF AT THE TIME ALSO USED THEIR PERSONAL TYPEWRITERS.

■ must perform the duties of their position
AND OF EVERY OTHER POSITION ON THE ORG BOARD, THEN MORE

■ agree to provide their personal services
I NEVER GOT $100 A NIGHT FOR PERSONAL SERVICES!!!

■ work hours set by an agreement or award
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY HOURS PER WEEK IS NOT PERMITTED BUT IT STILL HAPPENED

■ are recognised as part and parcel of the payer’s business, and
YES, PEOPLE HAD "TAX" PAID OUT OF THE PAY

■ do not take commercial risks and cannot make a profit or loss from the work performed.
YES THEY DID. THEY WERE RISKING THEIR PERSONAL FINANCES TO STAY IN THIS INSANE CULT.

And per the definition of employee, I felt that Scientology staff members qualify as such. Therefore I have informed the department, and this is in action, right now.

I will let you know how this develops.

Soooo......

In a nutshell, you can't turn up to work EVERY DAY as contracted, do a regular job, pay regular taxes and get sick & annual leave, and be called a volunteer.

And if you are NOT a volunteer, then you are an employee. And if you are an employee you are covered by minimum wage agreements.

Could the slave labour days of the cult be numbered?

COULD THE DAYS OF ADULT SLAVE LABOR OF THE CULT BY NUMBERED?
COULD THE DAYS OF REGES FREELY HELPING THEMSELVES TO CREDIT CARD NUMBERS BE NUMBERED?

COULD THE DAYS OF THOSE POOR NOOBS SENT OUT TO DO BODY ROUTING BE NUMBERED?

COULD I BE LOOKING AT TWO YEARS PROPER PAY WITH 20 YEARS INTEREST?

$18,000 * 2 = $36,000 ($18k a year? Am I being too lenient?

at 10% compound interest (remember we had interest rates of 16+% world wide in the 80s

For 20 years = $242,190 -- I would spend about $20000 on HD video production equipment and put the rest into Superannuation.

I've been inspired by this. If there are people grouping together for an Australia Class Action, count me in. I checked my profile, and my email is supposed to be active, so just make the first word of the subject SCIENTOLOGY, and I'll make sure they're captured from the spam can.
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
Well in the States there's a law that you have to pay overtime for anything over 40 hours a week. That's time and 1/2. Can you see the cult having to go back and pay all that overtime? It would kill em. :yes:

Only if the person is "hourly" and not "salary" or "exempt".

Lots of companies in the US skate on this one by making the person an "exempt employee" and they don't pay overtime. However, there are many other state guidelines, that vary from state to state. My state, for example, calls for so many breaks in so many hours and even dinner money if you stay past a certain time.

I would guess that CofS gets by on this stuff by employing any number of loopholes but I also think it's time that the US (and other governments) takes a good hard look at the slavery and indentured servitude that is Scn staff.
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
And the way to do this is to have a product that people want to buy. Supply and demand generally dictate business pricing structures. Cut costs, increase (or decrease) prices, better marketing, whatever. Scientology doesn't operate this way. Their business model is - exploitation.

Exploitation is an excellent way to refer to it.

I think at one time, it was a product people wanted to buy but now we've got the bilking of the faithful left and right. They get less and less new people and so they rip off the ones they have.
 

Terril park

Sponsor
Neo I'd be very suprised if the COS hasn't already figured out who you are.
You've pin pointed your time on staff it looks like and they can't have too many who've left staff and worked in treasury. Even if some of the information you've given is misdirection. I'd be inclined to keep a video camera at all times in
order to record any attempts at fair game or whatever. Also its likely that your workplace will be fed lies about you. Warn them if you havn't already, and
talk to the TV station and see if they're interested in broadcasting any
harrassment you get.

You've done something at least comparable to John Sweeney and the BBC IMO. Look how they went after them. A freezone friend also in Melbourne has
done far less than you to annoy COS and he's been fair gamed, almost lost his job. That was a year or two ago, not sure if COS have the resources to do much anymore but I'd take precautions if I were you.
 

Pixie

Crusader
Yes - my last line of the interview was 'Scientology is a business, operating as a cult, pretending to be a religion'. It was a nice sound bite for a show like Today Tonight, I thought, LOL.

But this is exactly what we a dealing with. Make them play by the same rules as all other businesses.

Yes I noticed that Neo, that was brilliant and said in a way that will stick in people's minds for sure!! Well done to you!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 

anonmom

Patron with Honors
:wow:

:spitcoffee: Neo, just reading about your efforts has made my day. I can't wait to hear about further developments! :bravo:
 

ScudMuffin

Silver Meritorious Patron
sectorwin.jpg
 

Royal Prince Xenu

Trust the Psi Corps.
Well in the States there's a law that you have to pay overtime for anything over 40 hours a week. That's time and 1/2. Can you see the cult having to go back and pay all that overtime? It would kill em. :yes:

I don't think enough records could be dug up to verify overtime. I'm happy with my calculation as it is.
 
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