Ravensworth, Mangoola and Wambo Workers United
Glencore wants the power to decide what your job is worth.
Across Ravensworth, Mangoola and Wambo, workers are standing together against a dangerous push for tiered pay structures that would hand management more control over who gets paid what.
These aren’t small changes.
Glencore is proposing systems that allow workers currently on the same level to be split across different pay levels, with progression controlled by management rather than based on clear, transparent time-served pathways.
Workers have seen this before.
Once a company creates lower classifications, those lower rates become the new benchmark. It creates pressure to move workers backwards, divide crews, weaken conditions and drive down labour costs over time.
That’s why workers across Glencore sites are rejecting the company’s attempt to lock these structures into Enterprise Agreements.
This campaign is about fairness, transparency and protecting decent mining jobs in the Hunter Valley.
The Reality Behind the Proposal
Glencore says the changes are about flexibility.
Workers see a structure that gives management more power and workers less certainty.
At sites across the Hunter, members have raised the same concerns repeatedly:
- Progression should be transparent
- Workers should know how they move forward
- No one should be left waiting on management favour
- Career pathways should be clear and objective
- Agreements should not create systems that create downward pressure on wages
Workers are drawing a line now because once these structures are embedded into Enterprise Agreements, they become far harder to remove later.
What Happens Now?
Bargaining is continuing across Glencore sites, but workers are preparing to escalate where necessary.
At Wambo, members have unanimously supported moving toward a Protected Action Ballot (PABO) after ongoing concerns with Glencore’s proposed structures and bargaining position.
Other sites continue to organise, meet and push back against attempts to lock tiered systems into agreements.
Workers are standing together across the Hunter because they understand what is at stake if these structures become the industry standard.
Site Specific Updates
Protected Action Ballot (PABO) FAQ
What is a PABO?
A Protected Action Ballot is the legal process workers must go through before protected industrial action can occur.
It does not automatically mean workers are going on strike. A successful ballot gives workers leverage at the bargaining table by showing management that workers are prepared to stand together and escalate if necessary.
Voting YES gives workers more power in negotiations. Voting NO removes one of the strongest tools workers have during bargaining.
No.
A YES vote does not automatically trigger industrial action.
It simply gives workers the legal option to take action if bargaining continues to stall or management refuses to move.
Workers would still decide separately whether any action actually happens.
The important thing is that management knows workers are prepared and united.
Because workers believe Glencore is refusing to properly address concerns around tiered structures and other major bargaining issues.
Workers have negotiated for months.
Members have attended meetings, reviewed proposals and provided clear feedback.
A strong YES vote increases pressure on the company to return with a fairer position.
Because the ballot itself creates leverage.
Companies are far more likely to move during bargaining when workers are organised, united and legally able to escalate if required.
Voting YES keeps options available.
Voting NO weakens workers’ bargaining position immediately.
A YES vote is about strength at the table.
Not automatically.
Different forms of industrial action have different impacts. Some forms of action may involve limited or no loss of pay, while others may affect wages.
Workers are informed throughout the process and make decisions collectively.
Yes.
Bargaining can continue throughout the ballot process and agreements can still be reached without industrial action occurring.
In many cases, the existence of a successful ballot increases pressure on companies to improve their position before industrial action becomes necessary.
That is why a strong YES vote matters.
Workers know that if tiered structures become standard across major operations, other companies will attempt to follow.
That’s why workers across Ravensworth, Mangoola and Wambo are standing together now.
Protected industrial action can include things like:
Work stoppages
Overtime bans
Restrictions on certain duties
Other legally protected measures approved through the ballot process
Workers themselves decide what action, if any, is taken.