Workers at Rio Tinto’s Paraburdoo iron-ore mine in the Pilbara region of Australia have launched a majority support petition (MSP) to negotiate their first collective agreement in more than two decades, potentially setting a precedent for the Pilbara iron ore industry.
The Western Mine Workers Alliance (WMWA), a collaboration between the Mining and Energy Union (MEU) and the Australian Workers Union, initiated the petition at the mine.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The petition aims to allow workers to bargain collectively to secure annual pay increases in line with rising living costs.
The demands also include pay equity and a fair and detailed classification system to standardise conditions and facilitate career progression.
The alliance is working to restore worker power in the Pilbara following two decades of de-unionisation that has led to inconsistent standards and conditions, unlike the protections available in the east coast coal industry.
MEU iron ore train drivers have been at the forefront of the reunification efforts in Pilbara, achieving significantly improved agreements with both Rio Tinto and BHP.
WMWA coordinator Shane Roulstone remarked that the petition has been in development for a long time.
A collective agreement is essential for workers to leverage “same job, same pay” legislation, which is expected to be the union’s next move, reported Reuters.
This initiative comes as Australian unions explore the legislation aimed at equalising pay among labour-hire workers and company workers.
Companies, however, argue that it limits their ability to offer higher wages for better performance.
The Paraburdoo operations employ both residential and fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, both of whom face inadequate conditions.
FIFO workers endure long waits at the small, un-airconditioned Paraburdoo airport after their shifts, while residential workers struggle with high utility bills in company-owned housing.
The petition’s early success is evidenced by Rio Tinto’s move to review its policies and the introduction of a new compensation policy for flight delays shortly after the petition’s launch.
Although the policy does not meet the WMWA’s demands, it indicates the company’s acknowledgement of the workers’ calls for fairer treatment.
The Rio MSP coincides with the WMWA’s negotiations with BHP for an agreement covering the South Flank and Area C operations in the Pilbara.
The WMWA has bypassed the majority support process due to new legislation that allows unions to initiate enterprise agreement negotiations. In December 2024, Rio Tinto and BHP faced class action lawsuits accusing them of fostering environments at their Australian mining sites where female employees experienced widespread sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
