Pay rise on the cards for workers at four Central Queensland BHP mines

Workers at four Central Queensland mines will reap the benefits of a new enterprise agreement following industrial action.

Union workers at four Central Queensland BHP mines have voted in favour of a new enterprise agreement.

Workers at four BHP mines across Central Queensland have voted up a new Enterprise Agreement which will guarantee growth in permanent job numbers.

The voting by workers at the Goonyella Riverside, Saraji, Peak Downs and Blackwater mines finished at midday on Thursday with a majority supporting the new agreement.

The new EA will require BHP to hire 105 new EA positions across the four sites within the first year.

It will also guarantee EA numbers won’t fall below current levels across all mines and provides one-for-one replacement of EA employees within the same site and work area.

The agreement will also include a four per cent annual pay rise with the first increase paid back to March 2022, $2000 sign-on bonus, voluntary early retirement scheme and improved protections to ensure training of permanent employees.

Union workers began industrial action in early November in a bid to pressure BHP on job provisions in a new enterprise agreement.

CFMEU mining and energy Queensland president Stephen Smyth.

CFMEU mining and energy Queensland president Stephen Smyth said the job security measures would reverse the trend of permanent jobs declining at large mines in Central Queensland.

“Negotiations for the new EA were long and tough; but members said that standing up for permanent, secure jobs was their top priority and we were able to achieve some important protections,” he said.

“BHP will no longer be able to cut permanent jobs and replace them with labour hire. Maintaining permanent jobs will be a priority when there is a labour surplus and EA jobs lost through attrition must be replaced by EA jobs.

“These are important provisions that will ensure there are more pathways to permanency.”

The agreement will also include a new four level classification structure for new starters based on their skills and length of service.

This means BHP will be required to move new starters through the classification levels with no more than two years spent at each level.

“Overall, it’s an agreement that grows permanent jobs, gives workers a pay rise and contains improvements in a range of areas from redundancy pay to union rights,” Mr Smyth said.

“There’s no doubt BHP is a tough negotiator. But members have achieved a result that will have a positive impact across the four mines and the broader Queensland coal industry.

“I thank the bargaining committee for their hard work and our members for their determination to take action in support of their claims.”

Originally published as Pay rise on the cards for workers at four Central Queensland BHP mines