August 29, 2025
Rio Tinto is moving to slash sick leave entitlements for its WA Iron Ore workforce – from three months down to just 12 days. That’s a staggering 70% cut, leaving workers with barely more than the National Employment Standards minimum.
This is nothing short of a betrayal. For years, iron ore workers have accepted lower wages in exchange for better conditions and policy entitlements – a deliberate trade-off negotiated in good faith. Now, management is trying to tear up that deal and strip away a basic safety net for thousands of workers.
Let’s be clear: iron ore workers generate billions in profits for Rio every year. Those profits fund executive bonuses and shareholder dividends, yet when it comes to looking after the people who actually dig the ore and keep the operation running, Rio wants to penny-pinch. Squeezing sick leave is not only unfair – it’s unsafe. Mining is a tough industry. Workers need the security of knowing that if they get injured or fall ill, they won’t be thrown on the scrap heap after just 12 days.
The Western Mineworkers Alliance is the biggest union in the Pilbara, and we won’t be standing by while Rio rips up hard-won conditions. Our message is simple: workers will not cop cuts to their sick leave. We’ve fought too long and too hard for decent conditions to let Rio strip them away.
It’s time to stand up and send Rio a message they can’t ignore. Join our campaign, add your voice, and sign the petition to Stop the Rio Sick Cuts!
Together, we can make sure Rio remembers that its wealth comes from the workers – and workers deserve respect, not cuts.