October 1, 2024
The first pay rises from successful Same Job Same Pay applications kick in on 1 November. The MEU has been busy collecting evidence and putting in more applications.
United Wambo
On 13 September the MEU lodged a tranche of new applications covering dozens of labour hire workers at United Wambo, one of the Hunter’s largest open cuts. The 120 workers are spread between four labour hire companies, each requiring an individual application.
The mine’s operator, Glencore, contracts labour hire operators Workpac, Corestaff, Programmed Skilled Workforce and the TESA Group to perform the same work as direct employees, but for substantially less pay. While there is some variation between the labour hire provider and role, labour hire workers at Wambo are paid up to $30,000 s year less than direct employees.
A successful application would lift the labour hire worker’s pay in line with the Glencore EBA – in some cases a rise of over $500 a week.
Mount Arthur
As BHP continues to drag their feet and delay our Same Job Same Pay case for their Bowen Basin mine sites, we have launched another application targeting their large Mount Arthur open cut mine in the Hunter Valley.
Approximately 225 labour hire workers are covered by the application, employed by Skilled Workforce Solutions to perform production roles alongside direct BHP workers.
Programmed workers are paid roughly $40,000 a year less than their directly employed workmates. A successful application would lift their pay by over $700 a week to the same rate as permanents.
Stanmore Coal will not contest Poitrel application
The MEU received word last month that, based off the strength of our evidence, Stanmore will not stand in the way of our Same Job Same Pay application for Poitrel in the Fair Work Commission.
This will dramatically speed up our application, ensuring pay justice will arrive on site much sooner. Around 90 Workpac labour hire workers will have their wages increased to the EA level of direct employees.
Appin
The MEU is taking on the largest labour hire provider in the Illawarra, lodging a Same Job Same Pay application covering PIMs workers at Appin mine. About 240 workers are covered by the application. A successful application would raise their pay by about $18,000 per year.
This marks our second Same Job Same Pay application in the Illawarra region, following Tahmoor underground mine in August.
Mt Owen/Glendell
The Mining and Energy Union has filed two applications for Same Job Same Pay at the Mt/Owen Glendell open cut operated by Glencore. The applications cover about 70 labour hire workers employed by Programmed Skilled Workforce, the TESA Group, and Workpac.
If successful, the orders would raise the pay of the covered labour hire workers to the level of direct employees, in some cases up to $35,000 a year.
Follow along with our applications by visiting our Application Tracker.