Emails sent almost three years ago revealed the Brisbane City Council was aware of alleged "unlawful activities" involving IT staff, despite lord mayor Graham Quirk denying knowledge of the allegations in August.
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On August 23 the council sought an urgent meeting with Indian technology company HCL, which provides IT services to the council, amid allegations of wage theft.
The Services Union secretary Neil Henderson alleged Indian workers brought to Australia by HCL had been working extraordinary hours, including no weekend or public-holiday rates or overtime, equating to thousands in unpaid hours.
When Cr Quirk was asked about this at a council meeting on August 28, he said the council had not been aware of any exploitative practices in relation to HCL.
The council outsourced its IT functions to HCL in 2013, a move that cost 55 jobs within the council but would deliver savings of about $8 million over five years.
Emails sent on December 2, 2015, sighted by Fairfax Media, revealed an IT worker wrote to the council to express concerns about “unfair and unlawful activities” that had been happening.
“I have been very patient ... but now it’s actually hurting me and my family in some ways,” the worker wrote.
“HCL, as well as BCC management, knows about this issue but they are just ignoring it.
“I am scared that if I try to oppose the wrongdoings, I may loose [sic] my job.”
Labor lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding accused Cr Quirk of lying to get himself out of trouble and to keep his job.
“He should resign, I really mean that,” he said.
“He [Cr Quirk] got up in council and said he never knew anything about it, that’s a lie."
A spokesman for the lord mayor said the IT worker requested whistleblower protection and so the lord mayor had not been made aware.
“Council was formally advised of employee concerns in August this year and immediately acted to investigate the allegations,” the spokesman said.
Three weeks ago HCL resolved the matter directly with the employees involved.
