Wilhelm Schelsky, the former head of the German union, AUB has admitted that he took money from Siemens in exchange for acting as an "undercover lobbyist" for the company.

The comments from Schelsky, which appeared Thursday in a German magazine, would seem to add credence to the lawsuit brought against Siemens by rival union IG Metall which alleged just this type of shenanigans. Schelsky, who has been in police custody since February, reportedly received more than $45 million dollars from Siemens.

The Siemens board member who made the payments to Schelsky, Johannes Feldmayer, was also arrested on charges of conspiracy but has since been released on bond. His ultimate fate, as well as Schelsky's is still unknown, but none of this is particularly good news for Siemens.

-- MDT

Labels: AUB, bribery, IG Metall, Johannes Feldmayer, Siemens, Wilhelm Schelsky

But not out of the woods yet.

-- MDT

Labels: AUB, bribery, IG Metall, Johannes Feldmayer, Siemens

The scandal that felled Johannes Feldmayer has also brought about a new lawsuit against the beleaguered Siemens. Beset by scandal and a high-profile international investigation into its business practices, Siemens can't seem to get (and probably doesn't deserve) a break.

In light of the cozy relationship that has emerged between Siemens and German union AUB, rival tradeunion IG Metall has filed suit against Siemens, alleging that the company sought to undermine IG Metall's status via covert financing of AUB, which is considered to be a much more employer friendly organization.

-- MDT

Labels: AUB, bribery, IG Metall, Johannes Feldmayer, Siemens