Suggestions that large payments to the Australian Workers Union from builder Thiess John Holland only occurred after Bill Shorten departed as state secretary of the union are wrong.

An Australian Financial Review story on Friday suggested that the payments from Thiess John Holland only started under Cesar Melhem, Mr Shorten's successor as state secretary at the AWU from mid 2006.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But bank statements from the AWU Victorian branch show the first of numerous payments starting in 2005 when Mr Shorten still ran the state union. A payment of $44000 was also made in early 2006 to the AWU under Mr Shorten.

On Wednesday, Fairfax Media revealed that Thiess John Holland paid nearly $300,000 to the AWU during and after Mr Shorten's time at the union.

The payments followed a workplace deal struck between the AWU and the joint venture builder which cut conditions and is estimated to have saved Thiess John Holland as much as $100 million. The reporting by Fairfax Media was based on extensive documentary and other sources.