Unions slam BHP over FIFO searches
Unions demand BHP drops policy allowing the personal belongings of FIFO workers to be searched.
Unions are demanding BHP drop a “draconian” policy allowing the company to search the personal belongings of fly in, fly out workers at the “whim” of mining camp security and managers.
Unions said the policy, which they claimed was a first for the mining industry, was outlined in new “village rules” that BHP had implemented as a condition of workers staying at camps.
The rules, seen by The Australian, state: “BHP, Village management, security or delegates may conduct searches of Village rooms, resident belongings or vehicles for all BHP employees and contractors on a random basis or where there is a reasonable suspicion that a resident is in possession of prohibited items, including, for example, drugs, weapons, stolen goods, full-strength alcohol or alcohol in excess of the permitted possession limits.”
The Western Mine Workers Alliance, which is made up of the Australian Workers Union and the CFMEU’s mining and energy division, said BHP had threatened to withhold accommodation if workers did not sign up to the “invasion of their rights”.
AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said the union accepted that BHP had the right to search its own property, but not the personal belongings of thousands of workers.
“Given the horror stories coming out of the sector about harassment, especially of women, this is the last policy BHP or any other employer should be introducing,” Mr Walton said. “Our union is recommending that employees do not give their express consent to BHP over this policy.”
Alliance spokesman Greg Busson said the policy was wide open to abuse and “appears to be a blank cheque to any petty manager with a vendetta to bully and harass a worker they don’t like”.
“There are absolutely zero restrictions on how or why these searches can take place,” he said.
“BHP reckons it should be an any time, any reason sort of affair.
“I wonder how the office workers in capital cities would like it if their bosses just decided one day they could rummage around in their backpacks or handbags?”
Mr Busson, the West Australian secretary of the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union’s mining and energy division, said fly in, fly out workers had been told they would be denied access to accommodation if they did not agree to the rule. “There’s no other option as you are in the middle of nowhere in the Pilbara,” he said.
“It’s either that or you sleep out with the dingoes.
“This drastic new rule was slipped in sneakily by BHP with the hope, presumably, that no one would notice and would just sign.
“So far, we are aware of no protections about how searches of personal belongings are undertaken, including who is present or training on how appropriate searches can be conducted.”
BHP introduced a new alcohol consumption policy on July 1, with workers at villages subject to a daily limit of four standard drinks and all drinking banned after 10pm.
Asked to comment on the union claims, a BHP spokesman said as part of the updated alcohol policy, “we updated our longstanding village search rules for prohibited items such as drugs to include isolated cases where there was reason to believe that a person might be in possession of full-strength alcohol”.
“We are committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of our people, and having reasonable controls in place helps us to achieve this,” the spokesman said.
BHP said searches were intended to be carried out only in cases where there was reason to believe prohibited items were being hidden. It said consent for a search would be sought from the individual, and if it were not given, the matter would be “escalated for further consideration”.
The company said a leader would carry out the search, with a security guard, in the presence of the worker.
BHP said the option to record the search via video camera would be provided, or alternatively, notes could be taken.
