November 21, 2024
Workers at Boggabri mine near Gunnedah have celebrated the first order in NSW for Same Job Same Pay at a series of Lodge meetings this month.
One of our members, Nathan Hall-Riley, a labour hire Operator at Boggabri mine is one of the first NSW beneficiaries of Same Job Same Pay laws which came into effect on 1 November. He is now receiving an extra $350 a fortnight.
Nathan told the MEU that when he got involved with the campaign for Same Job Same Pay it was to benefit his family, including his fiancée Brooke, three-year-old daughter Rhenn and two-year-old son Ryder.
Under the Fair Work Commission’s ‘regulated labour hire arrangement order’, nearly 50 other labour hire workers like Nathan employed by One Key now have their pay lifted to match rates under the Boggabri Enterprise Agreement covering direct employees.
In general, One Key employees received up to $15,000 less than Boggabri employees a year and the order closes the pay gap. The pay gap was even bigger for workers on Boggabri’s lower-paid ‘New to Industry’ program.
MEU Northern Mining and NSW Energy District Vice-President Mick Taggart said that members wanted to come together to celebrate being the first mine in NSW to win a Same Job Same Pay order.
“Members are extremely proud to be the first pit in NSW to win Same Job Same Pay.
“We have a strong Lodge in place at the site and a culture of members and delegates asking their workmates to come on board and join the union.
“Winning Same Job Same Pay reflects the unity Boggabri members have built at their worksite.
Mick also said that a significant outcome was the Fair Work Commission determining that ‘New to Industry’ workers would also be covered by the Same Job Same Pay order.
While there are exemptions for trainees and apprentices under Same Job Same Pay laws, ‘New to Industry’ workers at Boggabri were paid less but were performing the same work as other employees and not part of a trainee program.
“Some of the biggest winners from the order are our New to Industry members who were initially on a much lower rate of pay. The order showed that they were performing the same work and should be paid accordingly which was significant.”
Travis Herbert, a dump truck driver at Boggabri on the ‘New to Industry’ program is now receiving over an extra $1,000 a fortnight under Same Job Same Pay.
At the Lodge meetings this month, Boggabri members also moved a motion to create a petition calling on Idemitsu to follow in the footsteps of other NSW mines and put the affected labour hire workers on as permanents. This would mean members would not only be on the same rate of pay but receive all the benefits of the host Enterprise Agreement.
There is a consistent trend of hiring more permanent employees among the biggest mine operators since the financial incentive to outsource has been removed.
The MEU has made Same Job Same Pay applications at a further 13 coal mines in NSW, which are still before the Fair Work Commission.
