Bowen Basin mine companies explain Covid vaccination policies

Miners claim they will walk out if mining giants make Covid vaccinations a condition of employment and site entry. Some of Queensland’s biggest employers explain their jab or job policy.

BHP has gone it alone in making Covid vaccinations mandatory for all mine workers and visitors to its operations.

The mining giant, in fierce opposition to the Mining and Energy Union and anecdotal grumblings of its workers, last week announced all employees and visitors must be vaccinated before entry to worksites.

“We have undertaken a thorough assessment and believe this is the right path forward to protect the health of our people, their families and the communities where we operate – including remote Indigenous communities – while continuing to safely run our operations,” BHP Minerals Australia president Edgar Basto said.

The requirement is for staff to be double-vaccinated by January 2022.

It is the first mining company with operations in the Bowen Basin to announce its Covid vaccination mandate, with smaller operators committed to following health directives but stopping short of the no jab, no job policy.

A Yancoal spokesman said the company “encourages all workers to get vaccinated for Covid-19”.

The spokesman said the company had established a vaccination hub at “at one of its larger operations” available for workers and their families, and was working with local communities.

“A vaccination mandate is not currently being proposed across Yancoal,” the spokesman said.

“However, as the economy begins to reopen and government policy becomes clearer it may become necessary for employees in certain states, locations or roles to be fully vaccinated.”

Stanmore’s stance was it was committed to following industry standards and the Queensland Resources Council’s recommendations “which aims to minimise the spread of the virus, particular to the remote and vulnerable communities … in which we operate”.

Peabody actively encourages its staff to get vaccinated.

“As part of Peabody’s commitment to protecting the safety and health of our workforce and helping the Australian community avoid ongoing Covid lockdowns and restrictions, we have strongly encouraged all employees to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” a spokeswoman said.

Glencore, in a statement, said it followed the relevant state or territory guidelines relating to vaccine mandates.

“Glencore strongly supports the Australian Government’s national vaccine rollout program for Covid-19 and we’re proactively encouraging our entire workforce to get vaccinated,” a statement read.

“We continue to follow and share health advice from the federal, state and territory health departments and will comply with any vaccine mandates set by government regulatory bodies.”

The vaccine mandate has proven a divisive issue in the mining sector, with workers claiming they would walk off-site if vaccines became a condition of site entry.

All companies were asked what, if any, arrangements were in place should a walkout occur but, as mandatory vaccinations are as yet to be instigated, the question went unanswered.