The big UnAustralian: BHP’s bargaining tantrum a slap in the face for Aussie values

BHP’s tantrum about bargaining with its Pilbara workforce shows the resources multinational has little regard for Australian laws and values, national leaders of the Western Mine Workers Alliance said today.

Over the last five years, BHP has earned more than $100 billion in profit, driven overwhelmingly by mining Australian minerals. Yet, this is the same company that has been caught out ripping off its Australian workforce by hundreds of millions in public holiday and labour hire underpayments.

BHP senior executives have been vocally complaining about laws requiring the company to engage constructively with its Pilbara workforce over employment conditions and suggesting its iron ore operations deserve special treatment.

Australian Workers Union National Secretary Paul Farrow said BHP’s failure to successfully and constructively bargain with Pilbara workers was not an accident, but a product of calculated arrogance.

“BHP has far greater resources than most of the thousands of Australian businesses that reach agreement each year with their workers on key employment conditions through Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs),” said Mr Farrow.

“Yet their performance over being required to engage with unions and bargain with workers – which are normal, everyday activities for Australian businesses – is like watching a giant, over-tired toddler in aisle 7 at Coles.

“Australia’s workplace relations system has enterprise bargaining at its heart, because it’s a proven way for Aussie workers to have a say on conditions that matter to them in a way that fits in with business needs.”

Mining and Energy Union General President Grahame Kelly said the iron ore industry is highly profitable but tough on workers, who are simply pursuing their right to address practical issues through collective bargaining.

“At stake for Pilbara iron ore workers are important conditions like pay structure and transparency, flight arrangements for FIFO workers, shifts and rosters, as well as critical claims around accommodation standards and costs in Port Hedland,” said Mr Kelly.

“No-one could look at turnover, burnout and mental health among our Pilbara iron ore workforce and believe that working conditions could not be improved by giving workers a voice.

“BHP’s Australia President Geraldine Slattery has complained about how much a shutdown of Port Hedland would cost in export earnings.

“BHP should quit the tantrum and get on board with Aussie laws and values by listening to their workforce around the bargaining table. That is their path to avoiding industrial action if that is what they really want.”