Union Leaders Spent Dues on Sex Toys, Booze

Link : http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=3&u=/nm/20041014/od_nm/sweden_union_dc

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Union leaders in the Swedish industrial town of Trollhattan, which is threatened by huge job losses, quit after allegations they used membership dues to buy liquor, porn and sex toys, the union said Thursday.



An internal audit by Sweden's second-largest union, Metall, unearthed expense abuses by branch 112 in Trollhattan, where about 6,000 workers at a Saab car factory fear they might be hit by European job cutbacks by Saab owner General Motors.


A former cashier at the branch told public radio Ekot of drinking bouts and sex shop sprees during official visits to Denmark and Belgium, using cash from union subscriptions.


"The branch did not pay for sex services -- that was up to individuals -- but the costs surrounding those visits were paid for by the branch," said Tommy Larsson. "I can confirm they bought dildos with union money and shared them out."


Metall spokesman Anders Ferbe said nine union bosses were suspected of not following financial rules.


Charges they spent union money in bars and sex clubs would be investigated, he said.


Metall has 400,000 members in a country with one of Europe's highest rates of union membership -- about 2 million people from a total population of 9 million.