Murray Watt digs in on industrial relations row with miners

Anthony Albanese will make IR a central election issue, as Murray Watt holds crisis talks with WA miners and employers in Perth over concerns about union influence in the Pilbara.

Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt has endorsed Labor’s multi-employer bargaining and same job, same pay changes. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

Anthony Albanese will not walk back any of Labor’s sweeping industrial relations changes and make Peter Dutton’s pledge to repeal the IR laws a central election issue, despite business warnings of dire economic con­sequences, job losses and in­vestment hits in resources states.

Ahead of a meeting with frustrated mining and business representatives in Perth, Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt endorsed Labor’s multi-employer bargaining and same job, same pay changes industry says will undermine the powerhouse Pilbara mining region.

Senator Watt – who met with union leaders on Monday ahead of a cabinet meeting in Perth – said the government’s industrial relations shake-up had already “strengthened the WA economy” and encouraged miners and unions to strike deals.

On Tuesday, he will meet with representatives from Roy Hill, Fortescue, South32, Wesfarmers, ATCO Australia, Laing O’Rourke, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, Acciona, Kent Energy Solutions, Mineral Resources, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, Franchise Council of Australia and Australian Lottery & Newsagents Association.

The roundtable meeting follows Resources Minister Madeleine King’s attack on BHP last week, in which she accused Australia’s biggest taxpayer of always “railing against” Labor policies and refusing to work with unions. After Ms King on Monday watered down her comments, Senator Watt shifted the government’s IR attack to the Coalition.

“It’s surprising that Peter Dutton and his WA-based workplace relations spokesperson Michaelia Cash want to make life harder for local workers, by repealing our workplace laws,” he told The Australian.

“We also strongly support the mining industry in Western Australia and we support those mining companies, unions and workers who are seeking to collectively bargain. I certainly won’t criticise employers and unions who seek to reach a workplace agreement.

“Workplace agreements are good for workers and good for businesses. Workers get better pay and conditions and businesses get more flexibility and productivity.”

With the Coalition targeting Perth seats lost to Labor and the teals in 2022 – including Tangney, Pearce, Hasluck, Swan and Curtin – the Prime Minister on Sunday launched a WA blitz accompanied by his full ministry.

The three-day WA push was headlined by defence, education, energy and manufacturing announcements, including an AUKUS jobs and skills package to recruit 200 nuclear-powered submarine graduates, apprentices and trainees.

As Labor ministers launched scare campaigns attacking Mr Dutton over GST allocation and nuclear energy, WA industry leaders were focused on the crisis talks with Senator Watt.

WA business chiefs fear re-unionisation of the Pilbara, where only a small portion of the workforce is currently unionised. The Australian understands Senator Watt will seek to ease concerns around multi-employer bargaining but not walk away from any of the IR changes.

Industry bosses have accused former workplace relations minister Tony Burke of misleading Australians after claiming multi-employer bargaining was targeted at low-paid and feminised industries, and would not impact WA or the mining sector.

The Fair Work Commission last month ordered NSW coalminers Whitehaven Coal, Peabody Energy and Ulan Coal Mines to enter a joint bargaining process. Employers have also accused unions of a productivity-sapping power grab after they capitalised on IR laws to force BHP to start negotiating the first union collective agreement in the Pilbara for almost a decade.

Senator Watt, who met with business leaders about the CFMEU crackdown after replacing Mr Burke in July, said he was looking forward to sitting down with WA unions and employers to discuss Labor’s IR reforms.

Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable said the mining sector “is concerned not only about the unintended consequences of the reunionisation of the Pilbara, but also about the intended consequences”.

“This policy was deliberately designed to give unions unfettered access to the Pilbara. The government dismissed the concerns of the industry when it passed its legislation. If it is now concerned about the impact, it should change the legislation,” Ms Constable said.

“Mining companies have routinely warned that this policy will hurt productivity and have a direct impact on jobs, investment and the viability of projects.”

Amid concerns inside the government about Ms King’s attack on BHP, the Resources Minister on Monday watered down her comments.

“The mining industry is important to Western Australia. It always has been and it will continue to do so for many years to come. We back the mining industry. I back the mining industry. I’ve got friends and family in the mining industry just like everyone else here does,” Ms King said.

“But what I do know is that a better deal for WA mining workers is a better deal for the WA economy. And working together, we will be better … benefits for the economy, including in productivity gains.”

CCIWA chief executive Chris Rodwell last week said “any attempt by unions to force multi-employer bargaining in WA’s mining industry would pose a significant risk to productivity”.