Miners win same pay for same job wage rise

Queensland miners could get up to an extra $20,000 a year.

Labour hire workers at Callide mine are set for a big pay rise.

More than 300 labour hire workers at Batchfire’s Callide mine in central Queensland stand to gain pay rises of up to $20,000 a year following the first same-job samepay order made by the Fair Work Commission.

The landmark commission decision means 324 labour hire mine workers employed by Workpac at the Biloela operation are eligible to have their pay increased from November 1 to match the rates under the Batchfire enterprise agreement covering permanent employees.

Mining and Energy Union Queensland president Mitch Hughes said Workpac employees in general received about $10,000 to $20,000 less than Batchfire employees a year and the order would close the gap.

“The Fair Work Commission has determined that labour hire workers are performing the same work as direct employees and issued an order to stop labour hire workers being paid less,” he said.

“It is fantastic to see these new laws working as intended to prevent employers continuing to use labour hire workers to undercut pay rates agreed through collective bargaining.

“The whole mining production workforce at Callide enthusiastically supported this same-job same-pay application.

“They are ecstatic to be the first worksite in Australia to receive a same-job same-pay order.”

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke welcomed the ruling, declaring the “labour hire loophole is officially closed”.

“This will be the first of many such decisions that will deliver extra pay to workers,” he said.

“Labour hire has a legitimate role but it should never be used to undercut agreed rates of pay.”

According to the commission decision, Batchfire and Workpac production employees working at the open cut coal mine attend the same pre-start meeting each day and are allocated work and equipment for their shift by Batchfire in the same way.

They perform the same production work and operate the same Batchfire-owned or leased machines and equipment; wear the same Batchfire uniforms; and are equally required to comply with Batchfire’s instructions, usually communicated by Batchfire’s supervisors.

They are rostered on the same rosters and allocated into the same production crews by Batchfire; take leave and breaks only when determined by Batchfire, share the same crib facilities; undertake the same training and use personal protective equipment and consumables provided by Batchfire.

Of about 560 production operators at Callide, the MEU said about 40 per cent were directly employed with the remainder employed by Workpac.

Workpac production operator Josh Stevens, who has been ­a ­labour-hire worker at Callide mine for six years, said the pay rise “will have a very strong impact, particularly since I’ve just started a family”.

“I now have a daughter who is just two months old, and this pay rise will help go towards the essential things like housing, groceries, bills, nappies and baby clothes,” he said.