Australian union files equal pay applications for BHP coal mine workers in Queensland
Adds BHP's comment in paragraphs 4-5
June 12 (Reuters) -Australia's Mining and Energy Union (MEU) has filed for "same job same pay" orders covering 1,700 labour-hire workers at three large BHP BHP.AX coal mines in Queensland, it said on Wednesday.
If successful, the applications to the Fair Work Commission would lift the pay of affected labour-hire workers by A$10,000 ($6,607.00) to A$40,000 a year.
"Today's applications are a major step towards stamping out this model (casual labour hire model) and closing the loopholes that have allowed BHP to avoid paying fair rates in site enterprise agreements," MEU Queensland President Mitch Hughes said in a statement.
A BHP spokesperson confirmed that the company had received the applications.
"Our focus remains on building productive and equitable workplaces that provide opportunity and reward high-performance, as well as supporting Australia competitiveness," the spokesperson said.
BHP in November said it opposed the legislation, saying it produces inflationary wage pressures while putting Australian jobs at risk.
It also said the legislation takes away the ability to reward employee's experience, high performance, innovation and success.
Wednesday's applications for regulated labour-hire arrangement orders cover workers employed by WorkPac, Chandler Macleod, and BHP subsidiary Operations Services at Peak Downs, Saraji, and Goonyella Riverside open-cut mines in Central Queensland's Bowen Basin.
Peak Downs, Saraji, and Goonyella Riverside are three of the five Queensland coal mines owned by the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance and operated by BHP.
($1 = 1.5135 Australian dollars)
Reporting by Roushni Nair in Bengaluru and Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Alan Barona, Subhranshu Sahu and Varun H K
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
