Hearings into BHP's challenge to 'Same Job Same Pay' at its Queensland coal mines kick off in the Fair Work Commission this Monday.
The Mining and Energy Union has applied for orders that would lift pay of over 1600 labour hire mineworkers at Peak Downs, Saraji and Goonyella Riverside mines to match permanent employees.
BHP is fighting the applications, made under Same Job Same Pay laws introduced by the Albanese Government to prevent employers using labour hire as a loophole to undercut established Enterprise Agreements.
The MEU's applications for 'Regulated Labour Hire Arrangement' Orders would lift pay for the affected workers by between $10,000 and $40,000 depending on skills and experience, annually.
The hearings starting this week before a Full Bench of the Commission are important for establishing that labour hire mineworkers at BHP mines – including those employed by BHP's in-house provider Operations Services – are eligible for Same Job Same Pay.
MEU Delegate and coal miner at BHP Peak Downs mine, Jason Noonan said that in addition to lifting pay, the new laws are delivering more permanent jobs.
"More permanents have come on board since Same Job Same Pay was introduced as the incentive to use labour hire has lessened.
"We will celebrate every new permanent job that is created, and we will also support our labour hire workmates to get Same Job Same Pay."
MEU General Secretary Grahame Kelly said the Union is very confident that the WorkPac, Chandler Macleod and Operations Services employees covered by the Union's application are eligible for Same Job Same Pay.
"They work under the exact conditions that the Albanese Government sought to address with laws to close the labour hire loophole," said Mr Kelly.
"We've seen major players like Qantas accept that the labour hire rort is no longer lawful or in line with community expectations.
"It's very disappointing to see our biggest, wealthiest mining company BHP fighting tooth and nail to continue using labour hire to suppress wages. But we are committed to continuing the fight to deliver wage justice for labour hire mineworkers.
"These new laws delivered by Federal Labor have already delivered over $25 million in annual pay rises for coal miners, with hundreds of millions in the pipeline.
"This is money that wealthy mining companies have clawed out of workers' pay packets over many years and it should be returned to regional families and communities to assist with cost of living pressures."
