Workers in $30,000 same job same pay win

Unions have hailed first breakthrough under Labor’s same job same pay laws.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke congratulated Thiess and the MEU on their agreement.

Unions have secured their first win under Labor’s “same job same pay” laws after Thiess agreed to directly employ 27 Hunter Valley labour hire coal miners, delivering them pay rises each of more than $30,000 a year.

The Mining and Energy Union made a same job, same pay application in March in relation to Programmed labour hire mine workers at Mount Pleasant coal mine near Muswellbrook, operated by Thiess.

The MEU withdrew the Fair Work Commission application on Thursday after Thiess agreed to directly employ the Programmed workers.

Hailing the outcome as an “important step towards restoring wage justice”, MEU northern mining and NSW energy district president Robin Williams said the labour hire workers had “for years” been getting paid $30,000 less than permanent staff doing the same work.

“The mine operator has responded to our application by agreeing to employ them directly,” he said. “Now, not only will they get the same pay as the permanent employees they work next to, they will also get the same job security, conditions and entitlements.”

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke congratulated Thiess and the MEU on the agreement.

“This is thousands of dollars that these workers should always have been paid,” Mr Burke said.

“This is thousands of dollars they will now be paid because Labor changed the law. And it’s thousands of dollars Peter Dutton voted to keep from these workers – and which he now intends to cut.”

Acting ACTU secretary Liam O’Brien said the new laws enabled unions to seek commission orders ensuring labour hire workers were paid at least as much as if they were employed directly by the host company, removing the financial incentive to outsource permanent jobs to lower-paid labour hire workers.

“Winning these permanent jobs and better wages for coal miners would not be possible without the Albanese government’s workplace laws, which closed the labour hire loophole that companies exploit,” he said.

“Working people are being underpaid and exploited by labour hire companies across Australia. This case sets a precedent for other labour hire workers to also be paid fairly and win secure, permanent jobs”.

A second same job same pay application by the union for labour hire workers at Batchfire’s Callide Mine in Central Queensland is waiting to be determined by the commission.

Mr Williams said there had been an increase in mine operators offering permanent jobs to labour hire workers since the laws were introduced.

“A goal of the new laws is to remove the economic incentive to outsource permanent jobs to lower-paid labour hire,” he said.